Robin's Choice
by Strangerine
Summary: Robin made his decision. He left behind one woman in pursuit of another, and now is trying to defend the only family he has left. But fate is not kind to Oberon's jester. He will lose everything, and must join the fight to make or break an empire. Sequel to Puck's Journey. Cover Art belongs to lingy-0 @ Deviant Art.
1. Introduction

Hello, and welcome to Robin's Choice! I've been working on this story for some time, and it's all finished, so I will be releasing one chapter a day until it's all published, just to keep you guys on your toes. ;)

This is the sequel to Puck's Journey, so I highly recommend reading that one before you read this one. But if you already have, on with the show!


	2. Chapter One

"_Robbie!_"

_"Puck_."

"Shut up!" The forest grove fell silent. Robin took a few shaking breaths. "Just...be quiet. Both of you."

A moment or two passed. Not even the animals lurking in the foliage made a sound. But all too soon, Meghan came up behind him and pulled on his sleeve. "Puck," she whispered, her eyes wide and innocent as she looked at him. "Please. I need to know you still love me." Robin glanced over at Capala. Her arms were crossed, her face unreadable. Meghan outstretched a hand and cupped his cheek, bringing his gaze back to her own. "Puck?"

"Meghan..." Robin slowly reached up and detached her palm from his face. His heart thumped in his chest. "I...no. I don't love you any more. I'm sorry."

The woman's jaw dropped. "What? Why?"

"Because...I did. For too long, and too much. I wanted you to love me so much I couldn't stand it. But then you fell for Ash, and it hurt. I was only around for a little while before I died, and now I've been gone for four years. We're entirely different people now, princess. I don't want to wait on you any more. I don't want to be your second choice, now that Ash is dying. I..." He paused, glancing towards where Capala had been. She had vanished. Puck pursed his lips. "I want to start over with someone new. I need a fresh start."

He stepped away and started to search for Capala's footprints. "So, you love her." Meghan murmured, drawing the tricksters attention back to her.

Robin paused. "I don't know yet," he admitted. "But I _like_ her, and I think she likes me, though she doesn't want to admit it."

"I see." Meghan raised her head, and Puck saw both understanding and sorrow in her eyes. "She suits you. I'm...sorry things couldn't have been different, Robbie."

Puck swallowed. "Me too, princess."

The Iron Queen nodded, smiled, and left. She vanished into the brush, exiting the gardens and going back to her advisors and generals. Robin went back to searching for tracks, but he found no trace of where Capala had gone. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Puck knew he'd find her only when she wanted to be found.

So he waited.

He sent for some food, if you could call the bland military rations 'food,' and waited in the grove for several hours. Eventually he dozed off, enjoying the sweet smell of summer in the air and flowers on the breeze. He woke to the sound of familiar singing, and opened groggy eyes to see Capala lounging in the tree branches above him. "Evening, Goodfellow," she said, as Robin got to his feet. "Nice nap?"

"Not very," Puck grunted. "I had a terrible dream that a pretty girl ran away when I was trying to tell her something important." He glowered up at the female fey.

Capala sighed and descended the branches, stepping down off the tree without a sound. "I'm sorry, Robin," she murmured. "But I'm not one to cause problems. Meghan loved you, and I just wanted to get out of the way and let you have your happy ending."

Puck's shoulders slumped. "I wish it were that easy, Cap," he said. "But no. Meghan doesn't love me. At least, not in the way I wanted her to. I wanted her to leave Ash for me, to fall in love with me, to let me be her jester, her savior, her best friend and lover for the rest of her life." He let out a bitter chuckle. "I never wanted to be a second choice."

Capala didn't reply at once. "So what do you want, then?" she asked, her voice low.

"I want to go save the dryads. I want to go protect my family. But I also want to make a certain Iron soldier fall madly in love with me, since after all," Robin chuckled, "I did just turn down the Queen of the Iron Fey for her."

"Well, when you put it like that..."

Puck grinned, but his good humor faded quickly. He sighed. "Capala, come with me."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I know I can't ask you to do this, but...I'm asking you to do this." The trickster swallowed. "Ask Meghan to send you with me to the dryads. Help me with my family, and give me a chance. Please."

Capala bit her lower lip and looked away. Robin could see her trembling. "I don't trust easily, Robin," she murmured, her voice choked. "And I rarely, if ever, let myself feel _attracted _to someone. Puck, the last time I..." She paused to take a shaking breath. "The last time I fell for someone, they died. If I had been paying attention, if I had been smart, I could have saved his life. I swore...I swore I'd never let my guard down again."

"...I'm not them, Cap." Robin stepped close and took Capala's hands in his own. "I'm not going to die, and you're not going to kill people by just admitting you like someone."

"Puck, if you knew..." To his surprise, Robin saw Capala start to tear up. She took a deep, shaking breath. "If you knew what I've done, you wouldn't care about me. You would hate me."

"I could say the same thing, Cap," Puck muttered. "Neither of us are perfect. God knows I'm anything but. But that doesn't mean we're broken. It doesn't mean we don't deserve the chance to be happy."

Capala swallowed. "I can't promise it'll be easy, Robin," she whispered, squeezing his hands tight, "but...I want to try. I want to fall in love again."

Puck pulled her close, leaning down so their eyes met. "Is that a promise?" he whispered with a smile.

The woman bit her lower lip and nodded, her eyes sparkling. "It's a promise."

She returned Puck's kiss, and the trickster considered that a victory.

* * *

><p>Meghan let Capala go with Robin very easily, almost as if she had been expecting it. "Get to the dryads as fast as you can," she said, avoiding Capala's gaze. "I'll send as many soldiers as I can spare after you."<p>

The two fey packed what they needed and were given a ride to the edge of Iron country, by the treeline of the Wyldwood. The moon above them illuminated their path, giving them the light they needed to duck into the trees. "How long will it take to get there?" Capala whispered. Neither of them wished to disturb the silence of the faery wood. Too many dangerous things lurked in the shadows.

"A few days," the trickster replied. "But you never know. It _is_ the Nevernever after all."

"Fair enough."

They walked down the path, weapons out and prepared for a fight if need be. They could hear the stir of living things crawling through the trees, watching them with invisible eyes. They travelled as far as they could until exhaustion claimed them. Capala took first watch, letting Puck fall into a troubled sleep.

In the dark of his mind, visions plagued the faery jester. Visions of blood and fire, of Aster falling before him. Thick, dark brown sap oozing from her side, her limbs akimbo while he clutched her in his arms. Metal-clad warriors, with bullets and swords and cold flame pulsing through his skin as they ran past him, cutting down his friends and family.

"Ah!" He shouted and sat up, a hand jerking to his shoulder and clenching around the fabric of his shirt. Pain sparked inside an old wound, making his blood turn cold and his heart race. He gasped for breath, his vision blurring as sweat dripped into his eyes.

"Robin?" Soft hands reached out to comfort him, one palm massaging his shoulder and the other cupped around his cheek. At the touch, the pain melted away and his eyes cleared. Capala sat in front of him, their faces close as she pulled him near. "Are you all right?" she asked.

The trickster nodded. He saw the dark shadows under the officer's eyes and swallowed hard. "I don't think I'm going to get any more sleep," he said, his voice rough and shaky. "I'll take watch. You rest."

The woman pursed her lips but didn't argue. Puck crossed his legs and focused on calming his still-racing heart, and Capala slept beside him. Robin outstretched his arm so she brushed against his skin. She tensed, then slowly relaxed into the crook of his arm. She tucked up her legs underneath her and let her dark hair fall across her face in her sleep. Puck waited for morning.

Eventually the faery sun deigned to rise, and the two fey travelled once more. Robin couldn't dispel the feeling of uneasiness that lurked in his heart. Capala knew something was wrong with him, but she didn't know why or what, and she lacked the words to ask. The jester kept up a façade of cheerfulness, as he always did, but kept Capala within reach at all times. Her low humming and nervous but soft touch would push away the fear that lingered in his blood.

"We should get there soon," Puck said, forcing a smile. "We've been making good time."

"Hm." Capala nibbled on a piece of bread from her pack. "Let's hope so."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance."

The two fey whirled around, stepping backwards from the mysterious third voice and unsheathing their weapons. "Grimalkin," Robin croaked. The cait sith had scared him more than he wanted to admit. "You can't resist making a dramatic entrance, can you?"

"I could say the same about you, jester," the cat purred.

"Nah," Puck said, slowly lowering his dagger. "I'm less dramatic, more casually awesome. What brings you here, kitty cat?"

"As I said. I wish to help." Grim's feline eyes flickered to Capala. "And to say hello to an old acquaintance."

Robin turned to see Capala staring at the cat, her eyes wide and her skin paler than normal. Her jaw was clenched tighter than he'd ever seen, and while her face betrayed nothing he saw violent emotions warring in her eyes. "Hello, Grim," she said, her voice empty. Not dangerous, not calm, just...empty. Barren.

"It's been a long time." When Capala didn't reply, Grimalkin looked back to Puck. "The path has changed since you've been gone. Follow the autumn trees."

"'Kay...that's awful nice of you, Grimmy. Any particular reason you've decided not to be a prick today?" His tone was light, but the trickster watched Capala out of the corner of his eye, worry growing in his mind.

"It's not my place to say." Grimalkin's eyes sparked with a sudden intensity. "Robin, do you remember our last conversation, the one in this very wood?"

"Vaguely."

The cat smirked. "The name of the song is 'Why I Wander,' in case you didn't know."

"What?" Puck's brow furrowed. He shook his head and opened his mouth to ask more questions, but the cait sith had disappeared. "Typical." He turned to Capala. "Cap? Are you okay?"

The woman swallowed. "I'm fine," she croaked. "We should keep moving."

"Hey-" Robin reached out to take Capala's arm, only to have her jerk away like he'd struck her. "Cap, what's going on?"

"_Nothing_," she insisted, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Just...we need to keep moving." The officer marched away from him, her head down and her shoulders tense.

Puck took a deep breath and went after her.


	3. Chapter Two

True to Grimalkin's word, they found a fork in the road the next day. The duo chose the path with the autumn trees, trying not to crunch too many fallen leaves as they walked. In the past day, Robin and Capala had both grown stiff and unhappy. Puck still felt worry and sickness poisoning his mind, and Capala had become tense and unresponsive since Grimalkin's visit. A romantic escapade it did not make.

Which is why is came as some relief when they arrived at the trod door. "Thank god," Robin breathed. "I thought we'd never get there."

"I just want to get out of this accursed forest," Capala muttered. "The faster the better."

"Less talk, more walk." Puck forced a tired smile and swung the trod door open. His heartbeat sped up. What was he going to find on the other side? Blood? Suffering? Death? He felt himself trembling, reluctant to look through the door and have all his worst nightmares realized.

"Puck!"

A feminine body crashed into him, wrapping her arms around his middle. Robin's eyes flew open as the wind was knocked from his lungs, and he saw a familiar face smiling up at him. "Barla?" he whispered, eyes wide. "Is is really you?"

"Uh-huh. I've-" she coughed, her cheeks flushing pink. "_We've _missed you so much! Come on, Aster will want to see you."

Dazed, Puck let himself be dragged along by the enthused dryad, stumbling through the home of his second birth. Random dryads, all of whom he recognized, smiled and waved when he passed by. Choruses of his name echoed through the wood, and soon he had an entourage at his side, guiding his unsteady footsteps.

Barla dragged him to every home in the forest, making him say hello to each and every person they met. "He's back," distant voices cheered. "He's home!" Robin didn't know what to say, or what to answer to the hundreds of questions lobbed at him during the walk. "Where have you been?" they asked. "What happened? Where did you go?" In that moment, the trickster couldn't remember. A myriad of emotions flooded his mind and drowned out all thought.

But soon the journey slowed, coming to a halt outside the small room Puck knew all too well. Barla squeezed his arm, smiled, and gestured for him to go in. The hum of voices had stopped, leaving only the soft sounds of nature. Robin stepped inside.

Of course, he didn't expect to see Aster having tea with Capala.

"Aster!" he exclaimed, joy and relief flowing through him. But he couldn't help frowning at the Iron fey seated next to her. "Cap? What are you doing here?"

"One of the older and more sensible girls brought her to me. You were a bit busy with the welcoming party." Aster smiled, her beautiful wizened face glowing in the ray of sunlight that fell through the interlocking branches above them. "Welcome home, Puck."

Robin felt heat rush to his eyes, and his throat grew tight. In two swift strides, he lifted the old woman in his arms and squeezed her as close as he dared without harming her. "I missed you," he whispered into her ear.

"I missed you too," Aster replied, roping her arms around his neck. Soon, all too soon, she retracted from the embrace and returned to the floor. "Well then," she said, "Won't you have a seat?"

The trickster took a seat at the table, and Aster handed him a mug of something warm. Puck murmured a thank you and took a drink. "Robin Goodfellow saying thank you without a second thought," Capala murmured, staring down into her cup. "You don't see that every day."

"Well, things are different here," Aster said, taking a sip of her beverage. "There is less to fear from peaceful dryads than from most fey. But Puck is disinclined to manners, regardless of the circumstances."

"Yeah, I'm pretty much a shithead no matter who I'm talking to," Robin interrupted with a grin. Seeing Aster again made all his worries go away. He didn't have a care in the world. "So what's going on? How you guys been holding up without me here?"

"Oh, it was terrible," Aster chuckled. "Peace and quiet, for the first time in months...it was terrible. Absolutely _horrible._"

Puck sighed. "I _knew _I shouldn't have left."

The pair laughed, but stopped when Capala rose from her chair, leaving her cup on the table. "I'm tired," she announced, avoiding Robin's eyes. "I'm going to go see if I can take a nap." No one spoke as she exited the room, waited until her footsteps faded away before reviving the conversation.

"...She's afraid of something," Aster murmured after a moment. "She's a nice girl, but something's spooked her. I can see it in her eyes."

"I know," Puck sighed, this time for real. "It was when we met Grimalkin in the Wyldwood. It set her off, somehow, and now she's acting like...like I don't know what. It's weird." He ran a hand through his hair. "Of course, I haven't been much help, what with all my nightmares..."

"Nightmares?" Aster suddenly became very intense. She stopped staring off into space and focused on the jester, her eyes narrowed. "What nightmares?"

Robin shuddered. "Visions, I guess. They're not just at night. Dreams of...horrible things. They haunted me all the way here."

Aster didn't reply at once, lowering her gaze and letting a heavy silence fall over them. "Capala told me how you two met, and why you came here. She told me about the message, Puck." She swallowed. "We will be attacked soon. And I've realised this too late to prepare."

Puck felt his chest grow tight. "I'm sorry, Aster. I should have come sooner."

"No," the dryad said, shaking her head. "You couldn't stop this. You can't. I know you can't. I feel it in my bones; something's coming, something that will change us all." She sighed. "But we have yet time."

"For what?"

"To run." Aster looked up again, her jaw now clenched tight. "Take all the dryads you can and run. Find us a new home, somewhere to rebuild. Keep us alive."

"What, like, right now?" Robin stood from his chair, as if ready to fetch the dryads that very second.

Aster gave him a weary smile. "No. Not now. Tomorrow morning. For now, go and check on Capala. She's a good person, you know. Very good. But delicate, though she doesn't want to admit it. Be gentle with her, Puck. She cares for you more than you know." She outstretched her arms, and Puck picked her up once more. He squeezed her tight. "I love you, Robin," she murmured.

"I love you too, Aster."

* * *

><p>After asking around, Robin found Capala curled up next to a flowing river. Puck's bladder couldn't decide if the sound of the running water was relaxing or pee-inducing, so he did his best to look confident as he struggled not to piss himself. "Cap?" he called out, creeping down to the riverbank. "Are you okay?" He paused. "Okay, I guess that's a bit of a stupid question."<p>

He saw the Iron Officer shift in the mud. "It is."

A moment of silence passed. "Do you want to, like, stand up and come over to me? 'Cause I don't know if you want faery mud seeping into your pants. That shit's magical and stuff." The woman didn't reply. "I guess I'm coming over there, then."

When he slopped through the muck and sat down at Capala's side, the woman finally acknowledged him. "Do you do all that shit on purpose," she asked, glowering at him, "or are you really that stupid?"

Robin grinned. "I don't know what you mean."

Capala pursed her lips, but the look of irritation didn't last long. "I'm sorry, Robin," she said, sighing. "I just...I don't feel right."

"I noticed." Puck shifted closer to her. "It's something to do with Grimalkin, isn't it."

The soldier took a deep breath and avoided his eyes. "Remember, back at the Iron Court, I told you there were things I've done that you would hate me for? Grimalkin's part of that." She swallowed. "Seeing him again brought back some memories I'd rather forget."

A few seconds passed. "You know, we're in this together now," Robin said softly. "I chose you, Capala. I'll listen to anything you have to say."

Capala lifted her head and looked at the trickster. "And you don't know how much that means to me," she whispered. "But...I can't tell you. Not yet. Maybe not ever, but I'm optimistic enough to say not yet."

"Well, I got all the time in the world." Robin pulled Capala close and kissed her head. "Just say you're with me."

Capala rested her head in the crook of his arm. "I'm with you," she murmured. "And I'll stay as long as you do."

"Good." Puck stood and helped Capala to her feet. "You know, the sun will be setting soon. We should go get dinner before it gets too late."

"That sounds like a good idea." Together, they walked back to the centre of the wood. They passed several dryads on the way, sharing polite smiles at their paths intersected. Near the main building, the smell of cooking meat and fresh fruit wafted through the air. Robin felt Capala take a deep breath in and sigh. "Come on," she said, tugging at Puck's arm. "Let's go in."

But something held the jester back. His heart dropped into his stomach, seemingly for no reason at all. He broke out in a sweat and his throat went dry. He felt a shiver go down his spine. "No," he whispered.

And then the all-too-familiar sound of a mortar whistled through the air.


	4. Chapter Three

**WARNING: VIOLENCE AND GORE. PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.**

* * *

><p>Acting on instinct, the jester pulled the woman to him before the shell went off, flying them back and making their ears ring. They had been lucky and were outside the kill radius, but their ears rung and Robin could feel his whole body shaking. "Are you all right?" Robin shouted, struggling to be heard.<p>

"Yeah!" Capala shouted back. To her credit, she recovered quickly. They took a few seconds to get back on their feet, but when Puck stood up his left leg crumpled under him.

"I can't stand on this one!" Puck shouted. He noticed, then, the cuts and bloody marks scattered across both their bodies, pieces of wood and rock buried in their skin.

"Let me carry you!" Throwing his arm over her shoulder, Capala guided him through the trees as the screams became more and more common. The explosion grew more rapid in their firing, and in the distance Robin began to hear gunfire. Far away, a tree fell and the splatter of blood filled the air, making Puck even more nauseous.

"Help me!" came a feeble voice. Robin and Capala shared a look before following the sound. They found Barla, blood streaming down her face from a head wound as she lay pinned under fallen debris. "The rebels," she said, gasping for breath in her panic. "They're coming!"

"We know!" Capala shouted. Leaning Robin against a tree, she started lifted the debris off the dryad without any hesitation. Barla flailed wildly, panicking and hyperventilating until she squirmed free.

"Thank you," she whimpered. "We have to get the others."

"Do you know where they are?" Puck asked, trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his calf. He knew something had been broken. He started to sweat, his eyes tearing up from the pain. "Cap..."

Capala came to his side, lifting him up as Barla spoke. "There's some farther up. The ones by the trod..." she took a shaky breath. "They're gone."

Robin swallowed. "We have to keep going," he insisted. "Aster..."

"And the others," Capala said. "We save as many as we can."

Barla nodded. "Then lets go."

They ran from the approaching sounds of mortar shells and gunfire. Each foot they advanced, the assailants behind advanced two more. Along the way, they rescued as many as they could, lifting debris, staunching wounds, and having the ones with arm wounds help carry the ones with leg wounds. Soon, they came to the centre of the forest, where they had last seen Aster.

"Aster!" Puck shouted. "Where are you?" He caught a glimpse of a familiar frame through the trees. "Aster!" he cried, and pulled away from Capala, crawling towards the older dryad and losing the iron officer in the trees. He avoided walking on his bum leg and travelled using a mix of falling, crawling and limping to get to Aster, faster than he could have imagined.

In this particular grove, Aster faced off against four gun-wielding assailants. With a flick of her hands, massive trees roots erupted from the ground and impaled the soldiers, their blood exploding in a gory shower. Aster finished her work and turned to see Robin staring at her, open-mouthed. "I thought dryads were neutral!" he shouted. "I thought you couldn't fight!"

"Just because we don't doesn't mean we can't," Aster replied. She relaxed her stance and started to run over to Puck, her eyes full of worry.

But Robin saw it before she did. Before he could warn her.

Behind her, a soldier hiding in the bushes leapt out and emptied a volley of bullets into Aster's body. Puck watched as her eyes flew wide, her body contorting as each iron projectile flew into her skin. making her stumble and fall to the ground. Blood began to pool in the dirt.

A pained, wretched scream tore itself from Robin's throat. "_No!_" With vision blurred by tears, he crawled to Aster, the pain in his leg incomparable to the shocking pain in his heart. He stumbled to Aster's side and took her in his hands, trying to make eye contact with her. Distantly, he acknowledged Capala catching up with him and leaping from the trees, causing several approaching soldiers' guns to combust. "Aster," he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes and onto Aster's dress. "Look at me. Aster?"'

Aster coughed. Her thick brown eyes started to turn faded grey, and she tossed her head around like she couldn't quite see him. "Robin," she choked out, dark brown blood like sap bubbling up in her throat. "Robin, I'm dying."

"No," he cried. "No, you're not. You're going to be fine."

"Puck," she persisted. "I love you. I love you, and you're going to be okay. Take the dryads. Get...get out of here."

"You're _not _dying," Robin insisted, his fingers digging into her skin. "You're _not_! You can't die! I need you!"

"I know." With a sudden, final moment of clarity, Aster looked at Puck and smiled. "Until we meet again." And then she breathed her last, eyes turning grey and her limbs falling to her sides. Puck started to scream wordless cries of pain and sorrow as he shook her body around, willing it to breathe again. Snot bubbled out his nose and tears obscured his vision. His whole body ached with pain and suffering. He screamed.

"_Robin_!" Capala shouted. She grabbed his shoulder, but he pushed her away.

"_She's dead_!" he howled. "She's _dead_!"

"I know!" Capala forced him to look at her, grabbing his chin and turning his head. A bloody gash stretched from the corner of her mouth up her cheek, and her clothes were stained and torn beyond repair. "But I need you!"

At those words, Robin started. He couldn't abandon her now. He still felt dazed and sick, but her words did just enough to bring him back to reality. He swallowed, nodded and staggered to his feet, staring down at Aster's body. Capala reached out and took his hand, making him look at her once more. "We're in this together," he said.

"Yes," Capala said softly. "We are." Hooking his arm over her shoulders again, she carried him back to the dryads, back to the running. They hurdled through the woods, charging for the other side so they could get to the Wyldwood and lose the attackers in the Nevernever.

Too late, too late, they heard the cry of another mortar. Everything exploded, sending wood sinking into Robin's skin and making pricks of blood dribble out. Terrible, heart-wrenching screams rang in the air, but no one could see the damage until the dust cleared. When it did, Puck saw several dryads impaled on shreds of wood that had flown into their limbs, chests, heads. Others maintained smaller, but still painful wounds. Robin crawled over to the nearest dryad, one who literally had their arm ripped off and who was shrieking like a banshee.

Puck's eyes went wide at the splatter of blood on the floor. "Help me!" the dryad screamed. "Help me!" Over and over, as tears streamed down her face. Robin tried to lift her up, to wrap something around her stump or lift the wood off her leg that pinned her to the ground, but to no avail.

"There's another one coming!" someone shouted. Puck felt Capala's hand on his shoulder.

"We have to go!" she shouted. Robin saw she was crying, her eyes red and her lips quivering. She lifted him up with trembling arms and leaned him against her.

"Don't leave me!" the armless dryad wailed. "Don't leave me! I don't want to die!"

Puck felt Capala start to sob. "Neither do we," she said, weeping. They turned and abandoned the dryad, making her scream all the louder, and as they ran away they heard anther mortar land. When it did, the screaming stopped.

"Look!" One of the dryads shouted. "The other trod!"

Sure enough, the wooden door stood only feet away. Racing towards it, Capala flung it open and they all ran through.

On the other side of the door, once they shut it behind them, waited eerie silence. Faint, muffled booming came from the door. Here, the only sounds were the sounds of faery creatures, waiting for their next meal. And Robin preferred even that to what he just experienced.

"Come on," Capala sniffled, readjusting Puck's arm over her shoulders. "We're not safe yet. We should get as far as we can before nightfall."

* * *

><p>They did, of course, stop to bandage all the immediate wounds. Once the adrenaline wore off, screams of pain wouldn't do much for their safety in drawing every living thing to their location. But after fixing everyone up, they travelled as long as they could manage without food or water. Robin saw they had maybe ten percent of the original population of the forest. All the people he had said hello to that morning? Dead.<p>

When night fell, everyone stopped to make camp. Any dryads with glamour left conjured up some water and edible plants. They didn't mind too much, eating any plants or bugs they could find, but Capala found her and Robin a bird to eat. Neither spoke. The woman kept glancing at the jester, her eyes filled with worry and concern. Capala turned the roasting spit, the bird's flesh sizzling in the flames. A little farther away, the dryads' camped together; close enough to watch over the dryads, but far enough away to give the fey some privacy.

"...Are you okay?" The soldier asked, after a few minutes. She paused. "I guess that's a bit of a stupid question."

"It is." Puck swallowed. "How do you do it, Cap?" he asked. "Go through something like that, and just...be normal."

Capala took a moment to respond. "Because I've lived through scenes like that before," she murmured. "I'm a soldier. It's either suck it up, or die."

Another few minutes passed. The trickster bowed his head and spoke. "You know, the fey aren't supposed to feel. We're dreams, mythologies, mystical beings created by mortals to live out their fantasies. Humans, at least, back when they created us, were simple creatures. They liked food, fighting, and fucking. So that's what we do. What we're born to do. Or rather, created, since we're rarely born. But we don't appreciate it. We accept our lives as normal, and claim superiority over humans when in all actuality, they could be considered superior to us, regardless of magical abilities.

"I have been called "human" more than a few times, and each time I wondered what that really meant. I felt, and when I cared for Meghan I felt even more so. Now I understand it means I am real. Most fae know nothing but hunger, whether it be for power or sex or food, desires given to them by their human creators. That I can feel pain, regret, rage and joy means I am real. Not a fantasy, not a dream, but real."

Robin raised his head, and Capala could see water shining in his eyes. "But now I wish I wasn't real. I wish I was just a two-dimensional character, who only cared about their greed and their survival. I wish I didn't love anyone. I wish I was dead."

A few seconds passed. "We can't control who we are, Robbie," Capala said, her voice low. "We can't _not _feel. And it hurts. But for every time it hurts, there is a moment to balance it out, when we are happy. We can't let the sadness control us, but we can acknowledge it exists and work from there."

Puck looked up, meeting Capala's gaze. "Thank you, Cap." He smiled softly. "I wish you could have known Aster. She would've liked you."

"...She was a good person," the woman said quietly. "I just wish things could have been different."

The trickster sighed. "Don't we all."


	5. Chapter Four

To his surprise, Robin didn't have any nightmares. His sleep was deep and uninterrupted. The morning, however, told a much different story.

A heavy numbness settled in his chest, and with every step he took the earth dragged him down to her level, leaving seductive whispers in his ears telling him to lie down and not get up again. All around him stood reminders of the terrible event that had transpired yesterday. Every shattered bone, scarred body, lost limb or pair of vacant, mournful eyes the dryads wore made the sorrow nestle deeper into Puck's heart.

He sighed and leaned against his makeshift crutch, grimacing as sparks of pain went up his leg. He felt a soft hand rest on his arm. "Robin?" Capala said softly. "You okay?"

Capala had kept him going this far. She'd guided the group while Puck lavished in his own suffering, smiling and attending to each dryad and giving them whatever they needed. In the back of his mind, Robin thought, that in her own way, the tragedy gave her a purpose. People needed her, and it took her mind off her own problems.

"Yeah," Puck said, giving her a weak smile. "My apologies, Captain. I don't feel my best at the moment."

"Just keep your chin up," the woman replied, squeezing his shoulder. "Just keep going forward. I'll handle everything else." She leaned forward and hesitantly kissed him on the cheek. Robin took the moment to enjoy her touch, her smell, the feeling of safety and comfort he had when she was near. He used the arm not occupied with his crutch to hold her close before she pulled away, running off to re-bandage one of the dryads. In the back of his mind, Puck took pleasure in seeing her grow more affectionate.

He started to walk again, grunting as he swung his crutch around to go forward when Barla spoke. "Do you hear that?"

Everyone stopped. The forest had gone silent, unusual and frightening. Puck saw Capala slowly unsheathe her gun. In a second, Robin heard it too. The sound of hoofbeats drumming in the ground. And they were getting louder. "Into the bushes!" Capala hissed, pointing her gun at the side of the path. Everyone darted into the foliage, trying to keep their breathing shallow and silent while the horses and their riders grew ever closer.

When the riders came into vision, someone exclaimed, "They're rebels!" Out of the corner of his eyes, Puck saw Capala tense up, her finger curling around her trigger and her free hand balling into a fist as she summoned her glamour. Robin knew what she wanted to do. And he didn't stop her.

"Get ready to run," Capala spat, lifting her gun to aim for the riders as they drove by. Puck's heartbeat roared in his ears as the horses came closer, and closer. Faster, louder, like a storm flying towards them. Thundering, passionate and angry as it waited for it's lightning.

The riders flew past, and Capala fired.

A cry tore through the air as a horse whinnied and bucked its rider, making the man go flying. Capala leapt from the bushes, firing another round into the first creature she saw. From where he huddled in the dirt, Robin spoke rapid chants and turned the leaves and twigs around him into copies that danced out after Capala, drawing the rebels attention and giving Capala time to shoot.

The jester watched as well he could from a safe distance, the gunfire making his ears ring and his heart race. But his heart stopped when he heard Capala cry out. "Cap!" he shouted, and stumbled out after her. The woman squirmed in the grasp of two bloody soldiers, Puck's copies disintegrated and empty bullet cases rolling on the ground. "Let her go!" he cried, trying to tackle one of the men holding the officer.

But an unseen leg swept his crutch and drove his footing out from under him, making him crash to the ground and feel horrible pain spark up his leg. Tears flew to his eyes and he contorted in the dirt, letting an animal cry escape him. "You bastards!" he heard Capala yell.

"That's _enough_," a deep and commanding voice bellowed. "Emery, that was unnecessary. Help him up."

"Yes sir," a grudging male voice replied. Robin felt himself being lifted up and his crutch returned to his arm.

"Much appreciated," he spat. From this angle, he looked up to see his saviour.

Riding atop a large, regal horse sat a man with striking golden eyes and silver hair. He wore military clothes with numerous awards and honours pinned to his chest. His clothes looked like they displayed the colors of the Iron Army, but somehow _better_. Cleaner. More sophisticated. A long, ornate blade hung at the man's hip, and a rifle perched on his back, the barrel peeking out over the man's shoulder. "You're welcome," the man said. "You must be Robin Goodfellow. Aster's told me a lot about you."

Puck's jaw dropped. "You know Aster?"

"I do. My apologies for attacking your companion, by the way; she shot first, after all, and looked like a rebel soldier. I'm assuming you know her; you _did_ try to protect her."

"So you're not rebels?" Capala interrupted, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, we are very much so, madam," the man said. "But we are more political and less radical. We do not support extremists who attack neutral parties. A few months ago, my men and I were seeking aid, and Aster gave it to us without question. I consider her an ally and a friend." He looked back to Robin. "I assume she's with you?"

A sudden knot formed in Puck's throat. "She's dead," he croaked. "We were attacked just a day ago. She died defending us."

The man paled. "Then I am too late." He dismounted his horse, and walked over to shake hands with the trickster. "I am General Fission," he said, his eyes burning with a strange intensity. "And I offer whatever help I can, if you'll accept it."

Robin and Capala shared a look. The woman nodded and pulled away from the two who still held her, this time pulling away without a fight. "There are some survivors," she said. "Very few, but some. If you could help us find safety, we would appreciate it."

"And a place to rebuild," Puck interjected. "It's what...what Aster told me to do. She wanted them to find a new home."

"Then find a new home we will," the man said. "We have a political base not far from here. From there we can find somewhere for the dryads to live."

"Really?" Barla emerged from the trees, followed by the rest of the dryads. "We'll be safe?"

Fission turned and walked over to Barla, bowing before her and taking her hand in his. "I swear on my life, miss," he said. "None of your friends or family will come to harm under my care."

* * *

><p>Fission had plenty of medical supplies on hand, and he was specially equipped to handle any Iron injuries the dryads had. He and his men had bandages and herbal remedies, and Robin got an actual splint instead of a crooked twig strapped to his leg. Capala wore a large patch over her cheek, but had little wounds aside from that.<p>

Puck and some of the other more wounded fey got to ride the rebels' horses as they travelled. "How long until we get to the base?" Robin asked, looking down at the general from his high saddle.

"A few days' ride, at full speed," Fission replied. "Maybe two and a half weeks at our pace."

"Delightful," Puck grunted, shifting in his seat. "See, this is why I don't like riding horses. By tomorrow I'm not going to be able to feel my butt cheeks, let alone in two weeks."

"Quit complaining, Robin," Capala said. "At least you just have to sit around. I'm the one who's walking."

"Poor baby," Puck mocked. "You have to do what you normally do anyway. _I _have to grind my ass against this uncomfortable-as-shit saddle for the next few _weeks_. I've got a figure to keep! My ass is my best feature!"

"Yeah," Capala snorted. "That's where you do all your talking." Fission laughed.

Robin scowled. "Don't act like you don't like my ass. Everyone does. It's a fact."

"Is it now?" Capala smirked. "I'm more of a legs girl myself."

Puck glanced down at his bum leg. "Well, shit."

And so began two long and hopeful weeks. While the introduction of the rebels gave most some optimism, Robin couldn't help but let the uncertainty of the future get to him sometimes. At night, before bed and after dinner, he would, in an act quite out of character for him, pray. "'Kay, I know I don't do this very often," he murmured, eyes shut, "often being never, but Grimalkin said there's entities out there watching us. Forces that command us. So I ask you, if you do exist, please let Aster be at peace. Please let us be safe. And if there is anything good in this world, _please_ let us find a new home and a way out of this."


	6. Chapter Five

They arrived weeks later at mid-afternoon. Robin's leg had fully healed, his glamour repairing the broken bone with ease, and now he walked along the path, half-asleep. He'd made a bet with Capala that he could sleep standing up, and fully intended to do so.

Fission shouted. "We're here!"

Puck jerked his head up, looking around. They were still in the Wyldwood. "Here?" the trickster repeated. "Fission, I think you've been hit in the head one too many times."

Capala pinched him. "Hush, Robin," she said. "There's a trod. See?"

To their side, a little ways down the path, was a dark tunnel illuminated by sparking wires. The bush branches intersected with the metal cables that formed the passage, created a strange and beautiful mix of technology and nature. "This leads to our headquarters," Fission announced. "We're getting closer."

As Puck approached the tunnel, the wires and cables that composed it twisted and rose to the sky, making room to accommodate the people who walked on foot and even the people on horses. The jester felt the darkness wrap around him, a sudden cool settling on his skin and making him shiver. "Is this where it ends?" he wondered aloud. "Is Fission going to stab me in the back when I'm at my most vulnerable?"

"If you like," Fission said, his breath hot on the jester's ear, making him jump. "But I promised Miss Barla I wouldn't let any harm come to her friends or family, and I'd hate to break that promise."

Robin gigged nervously. "Ha, yeah, that's great. That's cool. Good. Please don't hurt me."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Sudden light filled the trod as Fission swung a door open, making Puck throw his arm over his eyes as his sight adjusted. When his vision cleared, his jaw dropped.

They stood on the top of a giant skyscraper, looking down on the world around them. Other massive steel buildings mirrored their own, and the sounds of cars echoed up from far below. The city glowed with electronic light, and while their height gave them a feeling of isolation, Robin still felt encapsulated in a huge, technological wonder. "Where are we?" he whispered.

"Tokyo," Fission replied. "Enough metal and technology to please us, and strange enough nobody looks at us twice. At least, the mortals don't."

"Not bad," Capala remarked. "But a tad obvious, don't you think?"

"We're not here to hide, Miss Capala. We're here to send a message."

"And that is?"

Fission winked. "That we are not to be trifled with."

Several important looking people emerged from a large room a few feet away, the doors parting to reveal an industrial elevator. "General," one of the arrivals said. "It's good you've come. The Founders need your presence."

Fission gestured to the soldiers and dryads behind him. "Take these dryads and bring them to the nearest park you can find. Keep them out of sight. Attend to their wounds as best you can. My soldiers will see to their own needs, and I will take these two," he gestured to Puck and Capala, "to the Founders."

The first speaker. "Whatever you think best, sir."

"I hope you don't mind," the general said, turning back to the two fey. "But I think you should meet my associates as soon as possible."

"I'd love to," Robin said, "but Summer and Iron don't mix very well, if you catch my drift."

"Oh. Right." Fission looked around the rooftop, momentarily flustered. "I will, um...just give me a minute, please."

With that, he vanished into the elevator, the slow hum of the machine descending into the building. Several other fey took the soldiers and the horses as they left the trod, dragging them into the elevator and going down to an unknown destination. Soon, all that remained were Puck, Capala, and the dryads. Alone on the rooftop, Robin felt tensions start to rise.

"Um, Robin?" Barla asked, her voice quiet and fearful. "Are they going to leave us up here?"

"Of course not," he said, his voice punctuated with a confidence he did not feel. "They just had to get the horses down first, to get them out of the way. They'll come back for us soon."

To his relief, someone did return. A young man, with a clipboard and a pen tucked behind his ear. "My name is Nax," he announced. "I've been told to escort you ladies to a place of safety. The walk through the building will be uncomfortable, I'm afraid, but we have access to a public park where you can hide while we find you a new place to stay. Please come with me."

He turned around and lead the dryads to the elevator, but Puck grabbed his arm to stop him. "What about us?" the trickster asked. "Where's Fission gone?"

"He will be back as soon as possible," Nax replied, shaking his arm free of Robin's grasp. "I assure you. But if you'll excuse me." Then he and the dryads entered the elevator and vanished from sight, leaving Capala and Puck all alone on the rooftops.

"Great," the jester muttered. "I really enjoy not knowing what the hell is going on."

"Relax, Robin," Capala said with a sigh. "I'm sure he's just trying to find a way to get you inside or something. Let's just be patient."

Puck grunted. "I don't know if you've noticed, Cap, but patience isn't my strong suit."

The woman chuckled. "No, I suppose not. But that's why you have me. To keep you from being reckless and stupid."

"This is true. But I gotta ask, what do you get out of this? Me?...Us?"

"...A laugh." She paused, looking surprised at her own answer. "I haven't had this much fun in a long time."

Puck cocked his head to one side. "You get a kick out of violence, tragedy and political intrigue?"

Capala bit her lower lip. "It's not so much fun, as feeling...alive. I just...I don't know. This, flawed as it is, is still better than running drills all day and doing whatever your superiors tell you."

"That's why I spend so much time out in the Wyldwood. Or did, anyway."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

Robin nodded. "It's freeing. The Summer Court is great and all, but I have to report to Oberon. I have to deal with all the politicking fey. I have to avoid Titania, and make sure I don't get tricked by a bad bargain, and of course, deal with all the enemies I've collected over the years." A faint, wistful smile appeared on his face. "But in the Wyldwood, I can do whatever I want. Fight whoever I want, live however I want to live, and be anyone I want to be. There's no one telling me what to do or how I should do it."

"It sounds nice," Capala said, smiling. "I should try it sometime."

"You should." Puck's eyes flickered to the thick black hair framing the soldier's head, now down to shoulder length. "Your hair's getting even longer," he murmured.

"Is it?" She lifted a hand to play with the stray locks. "Haven't bothered to cut it. Probably should, though. It's not good for a fighter to have long hair. It'll get stuck in things or your opponents will yank on it."

"I like it." They shared a smile, then, and in the back of his mind Robin compared the pros and cons of getting caught making out on top of the rebel headquarters.

But no, fate decided he wouldn't get to cop a feel that day. Puck mumbled a curse under his breath as the rumble of the elevator rising to their level brought both fey out of their reverie. They jumped to their feet and waited for the doors to open.

The elevator opened and a crowd of soldiers leapt out. "Grab them!" an unknown voice shouted.

Their gun-wielding captors rushed them, grabbing their limbs before they had time to react. He struggled wildly, feeling Capala do the same beside him, but neither had any luck. Looking up, he saw Fission standing at the front of a group, speaking passionately to a woman watching them with cold, angry eyes. "Enough," the cold-eyed woman commanded, and Fission fell silent. "You've pushed me too far, Fission, and I refuse to allow Meghan's spies within our ranks."

"They're not spies, Gage!" the general shouted helplessly. "They're friends of the dryads. They're innocent!"

"Not her," the woman, Gage, growled, glaring at Capala. "She's an officer of the Iron Army. While you've been out rescuing useless neutral parties, _General_, our people at the Iron Court told us a Miss Capala and Robin Goodfellow were send out on Queen Meghan's personal command."

Fission looked to the pair, eyes wide. "Is this true?" he asked.

"It is," Puck admitted. "But we're not Iron spies. The dryads are my friends, and I went to protect them after the extremists issued them a threat. Capala offered to go with me. That's all."

"I'm sure," Gage snarled. "But I'm afraid you've given me no reason to trust you. You are going to rot in a holding cell until the war against Mad Meghan is over, and then we'll decide what to do with you."

"And when will that be?" Robin asked, his face poised in mock-innocence. "If you could give me a time frame, that'd be great. A few days? Few weeks?"

"It will end when the Queen is dead," the woman said, a smirk spreading across her lips. "And the True Iron Fey take over."

The trickster's jaw dropped. The false expression left his face. "You can't be serious!" he shouted. "This isn't a political uprising, this is a conspiracy! A coup!"

The smile fled from the Gage's face. "And Meghan is an incompetent queen, Goodfellow. She does not deserve to sit upon the Iron Throne!" She gestured to the soldiers surrounding them. "Take them away!"

The men holding the two fey began to drag them to the elevator, when Capala moved. Lightning fast, she threw her head up and bashed one of her captors in the nose, blood starting to stream down his face. She swept her legs around her and cracked the same man's knee before wrenching her arm around to bend his elbow the wrong way, finally making him release her. In the same breath she whipped around and jumped to bring her other captor into a headlock, two fingers jamming his windpipe and making his eyes go wide as he struggled to breathe. She darted forward and had her gun trained between Gage's eyes before anyone else could get close enough to stop her.

"If you want Meghan to die," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "I know someone who can help you."


	7. Chapter Six

"Capala!" Robin shouted. His jaw dropped. "What are you doing?!"

Gage raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"I've used him before," Capala said, her voice low. "Let me contact him. He knows me. Trusts me. For a price, he will kill whoever you ask, without question."

"And why should I trust the woman pointing a gun to my head?"

Capala's jaw tightened. "Because Meghan is no longer my Queen. Because I'm tired of living under the thumb of a tyrant who does not deserve what she has been given. Because as a military officer I have a duty to all Iron citizens to protect them from their enemies, even if that enemy is their own monarch."

Gage seemed surprised. "A passionate response," she murmured. A tense minute passed as the commander judged the woman before her. "But you went from being on Goodfellow's side to mine, very quickly."

"Ah, but I didn't. Goodfellow has his beliefs and I have mine. I never said who I was loyal to; the jester did most of the talking."

"Cap...stop!" Puck sputtered, struggling against the men holding him.

Capala gestured to the fey behind her. "If anything, his reaction should prove I am my own person." The woman's eyes narrowed. "Let me fight for you. I may not agree with everything you say, but if it's a choice of being loyal to someone who has failed me before, and taking a chance and fighting to build a new world for me and my people, I'll take the revolution."

Gage raised her chin. "Very well. If I do let you go," she said, "if I do allow you to go after this assassin, you must know it does not come without a cost."

"I understand."

"Do you?" Gage stepped in closer, her forehead touching the cool metal of the gun Capala still had trained between her eyes. "I can promise you a new world. But that world will be born of blood and fire. In order to live in it, to create it for future generations of fey, you must give up everything. Everyone and everything you have ever loved will be torn from you. Such is the price of revolution. Can you honestly say you agree to this?"

Then Capala spoke in such a low voice, Puck almost didn't hear. "Everything I ever loved was torn from me long ago. This is an opportunity to build myself a new life. I will not waste it."

"Your words are pretty," Gage whispered in reply. "But it doesn't mean I trust you."

"I know." Slowly, Capala lowered her gun. "Put me under surveillance. Do whatever you wish to assure my loyalty. I will get you your assassin. All I ask is you let him come with me." She gestured to Robin, not even looking at him. "...I owe him."

Gage nodded. "Very well. When do you want to leave?"

Capala swallowed. "Tomorrow morning. Until then, we need rest, medical supplies and food."

"Done." Gage looked to the soldiers standing around them, waiting for an order. "Make sure the dryads are well cared for. They are a neutral party here, and we do not harm civilians. Bring food and other supplies up here - the jester can't survive in the building." The commander glanced at Capala. "Would you prefer to sleep up here or downstairs with us?"

"Here," Capala said. "Goodfellow will...have some questions. I am obligated to answer them."

"Very well," Gage said. "Tents, doctors and supplies will be up shortly."

With that, Gage turned and led the crowd of soldiers into the elevator and down, leaving three behind with Capala and Robin. Puck was still in shock, the sudden silence on the roof contrasting with the blood thundering in his eyes. He turned to Capala and wanted to shout at her, to yell and scream and ask her what she was doing. _She's got to have an answer_, Robin thought. _She can't mean what she said. She can't_.

"Capala?" he said, his voice weak. "...Cap?"

She didn't look at him. Her head was bowed, her hair falling over her face and obscuring her from view. Slowly, she sheathed her gun, knelt down and pulled something from inside her military vest. She still hadn't changed from the clothing she'd been wearing when they first met.

A small book withdrew from an internal pocket, and she handed it to him. Robin looked at the cover. "Spanish to English Pocket Dictionary," it read. "Fourth Edition."

Capala spoke. "No quiero que ellos sepan lo que estamos diciendo."

Puck blinked, then started flipping through the book. She repeated several words until he understood, a few minutes passing until he deciphered the message. _I don't want them to know what we're saying._

The trickster looked through the book to form his reply. "¿De dónde has sacado esto?" _Where did you get this?_

"En la estación de gas, antes de Miguel nos dio un paseo. Pensé que sería útil." _At the gas station, before Miguel gave us a ride. I thought it would be useful._

Robin chose his next words carefully. "Capala, es lo que realmente está de acuerdo con ellos?" _Capala, do you really agree with them?_

Pain flashed in Capala's eyes. _"..._No lo sé." ..._I don't know._

The trickster swallowed. Sadness and anger fought for dominance inside him. "Por qué no?" _Why not?_

"...Porque yo no sé en quién."_ ...Because I don't know who to trust anymore. _

Her answer confused him, and Puck opened his mouth to speak, to reassure her, but got interrupted. The elevator dinged to announce new arrivals, and in the blink of an eye Capala had swiped the book and stuffed it back into her vest.

People came out and started setting up tents and offering food and beds to the tired fey. Robin cursed their inability to talk freely. He had so many questions, and wanted so many answers. But his stomach churned as the smell of iron and smog filled his lungs, the fey cold and dangerous around him. Capala refused to meet his eyes, treating him like a pet or lesser person in front of everyone else. She didn't dare show weakness.

So Puck gave up trying to talk to her, and prepared himself for the worst.

* * *

><p>Late that night, Robin was tucked away inside his tent. The small cot inside his tent felt like a bed of nails, and he couldn't fall asleep. The jester's mind refused to rest. He kept tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable and failing.<p>

He opened his eyes and sat up when Capala stepped inside the tent. "Cap?"

The woman held a finger to her lips. She sat on the edge of the bed. "I wanted to talk to you," she whispered. "Privately."

The trickster swallowed. "Well, I don't know if I want to talk to you," he muttered, lying down again.

A moment passed. "Robin!" Capala snapped, once her surprise had worn off. "Don't be childish."

Sudden, hot anger rose inside him. "I'm not being childish!" he spat, sitting back up and glaring at her. "I'm a prisoner of the rebels who are going to kill Meghan, I can't go anywhere because the whole fucking city is made of iron, and you seem to agree with Gage! They're fucking crazy, Cap. Are you really going to let them kill Meghan?"

Capala swallowed. "I..." She bit her lower lip. "To a degree, I agree with them. I don't think they should kill her, though. Assassination is not...what I would prefer."

"Oh, I don't see why not," Robin hissed. "It's just Meghan, after all. Your Queen, my friend. This whole murdering business is just wonderful."

Capala's eyes sparked, and she opened her mouth to reply, before tensing. She swallowed and closed her eyes. Her shoulders slumped. "I know," she murmured. "I know. But...she's just the means to the end of finding a monarch better than Meghan."

"What's wrong with Meghan?" Puck asked. "She's fine."

"Is she?" Capala raised an eyebrow. "You know the same things I do. Hell, you know her better than me. Don't act like you haven't seen all the examples of her sticking her head in the sand, refusing to listen, or doing something stupid. She may be a good person, but she's not a good queen."

Robin bristled. "Yeah, and power-hungry and murderous Commander Gage is a much better choice. I'm sure she is just fine with being the 'means to an end,'" he snarked. "Something tells me she's not the type to get power and then just give it away."

"Puck, just..." Capala took a deep breath. "Again, she's not perfect, and I don't agree with everything she says. But...she's not Meghan. If we can just start over, we can choose whoever we want to govern our kingdom. Not just Gage. Anyone."

Robin opened his mouth again, ready to fight her, but failed. He sighed and fell back down against the bed. "...It's your people, Cap," he said. "Your race, your Court, your family. I just...I just want to go home. I never asked to be a prisoner here. I never asked to be a part of this."

Capala didn't reply at once. "I know," she said quietly. "I'm sorry I have to drag you into a war that isn't yours."

The trickster sighed. "I'm just surprised she trusted you so easily. That she's agreeing to let you go find her a killer."

"She thinks she's right," Capala said softly. "She thinks she's one of the good guys. If you believe you're on the side of justice, you want to be kind and understanding. She wants to believe I'm turning to her side because I think it's the right thing to do. It makes her feel good." She paused. "And to a degree, I do think it's the right thing. Not assassinating Meghan, I despise that, but...but the reason she's doing it. The idea of building a new world. I just...I want to believe in it."

A few tense minutes passed. "You know what I wanted, Cap?" Puck said, lying down and lacing his hands behind his head. "I just wanted to go home to the dryads. I wanted you to come with me, and I had this little idea of how everything was going to work. Aster would like you, and we'd be safe and happy together, and I'd get to know you better and maybe make you fall in love with me, 'cause that would be cool, and...and I wanted to be happy. Because I haven't been really happy in a long time."

Capala reached out and took his hand in hers. "I'm sorry," she murmured. "But for what it's worth, I had my story too. I wanted to believe you liked me. That, because you chose me over Meghan, I'd have a second chance at happiness. We could go save the dryads, and Meghan could station me in their forest and I'd get to stay with you. I thought I could fall in love again, and live happily ever after like in the fairy tales that created us."

"...But that's not what happens, is it?" Robin whispered.

Capala gave him a bitter-sweet smile. "No, it isn't." A moment passed. "...But we can at least try, can't we?"

Puck swallowed and pulled her into a hug, enjoying her touch and smell. "Yeah," he murmured. "We can try."

They sat there, without speaking, for several minutes. Robin held Capala to his chest, each comforting the other with their presence. At some point, Cap settled into the space beside him on the cot and rested in the crook of his arm. With her at his side, the trickster started to doze off.

"I love you, Cap," he said, mumbling the words into her hair as he pulled the blankets over them.

Just before he fell asleep, he heard Capala reply. "I love you too."


	8. Chapter Seven

The next morning Puck woke to empty space beside him, his arms clasped around nothingness. He sighed and got to his feet. Running a hand through his hair, his bleary eyes caught a glimpse of someone peeking their head into his tent. "You're up," the visitor grunted. "The commander wants to talk to you."

"That's great," Robin yawned, "but I need to do my make-up first. Beauty sleep only does so much."

The soldier made a face before shaking his head and leaving the tent. "Just hurry up."

Robin grinned. "It's awful impolite of you to just barge in here, you know. What if I had slept naked? I don't, usually, but what if I had? You should really knock first. Unless you want an eyeful of the old twig-and-berries. Then come right in, I guess, but I'm not entirely sure that's consensual."

Through the shadows displayed on the tent flaps, Puck saw the soldier shudder before walking away and giving him some privacy. He took advantage of the time to change into a fresh set of clothes lying across from his cot, and taking a morning piss in a convenient pail placed nearby. The jester emerged from the tent feeling quite chipper.

Of course, then he smelled the smog and remembered where he was.

"Goodfellow!" Gage called. "Come here!"

With a sigh, Robin forced a smile on his face and sauntered over to the commander. "Lovely morning, Gagey-kins," he said with false cheerfulness. "Perfect for a nice assassination, wouldn't you say?"

Gage pursed her lips and and looked past his shoulder, gesturing to someone he couldn't see. Capala soon appeared beside them. "Officer," Gage said, "It's morning. I expect you to head out as soon as possible."

Capala gave her a small nod. "Of course."

"You will be accompanied by these supervisors," the commander announced, and at her words a half-dozen of soldiers appeared behind her, all wielding very dangerous-looking weapons and scowls on their faces. "To ensure your cooperation, of course. Think of this as a trust exercise. It's a mark of my good faith in you that I'm allowing this mission to go ahead at all."

"A trust exercise?" Robin snorted. "Yes, a squad of murderous babysitters sure seems trusting. And it's a tad overkill, don't you think Tin Tits?"

A vein pulsed in Gage's forehead. "Capala has proven her abilities," Gage said through gritted teeth. "These are adequate measures."

"If you say so, Gagey-poo."

Capala placed a warning hand on Puck's arm. "We should leave now," she interjected. "The faster we leave, the faster we can get it over with."

Gage nodded. "It's not a pleasant business, but a necessary one. We've got a trod waiting for you." She herded the group to a door that stood at the far wall, suspended in the air with no walls around it. She swung the door open, and a rush of forest air blew their hair back. Robin breathed deep, the smell of nature comforting him. "The trod will drop you off around Tir Na Nog. From there, how long do you think the journey will take?" the commander asked.

"It could be a few hours, or a few months," Capala replied. "It depends on if he wants to be found."

Gage seemed slightly disturbed, but nodded. "...I see. I wish you the best of luck."

The two fey and their entourage of six soldiers disembarked from the rooftop and went through the trod. They walked down the path and watched as the walls around them turned from steel walls and dangling cables to ice-covered walls and snowy floors, with spirals of frost swirling around them and sending pinpricks of ice into their cheeks.

They arrived on the other side of the trod, stomping through the ice with booted feet. Puck shivered. "Not a fan of the cold, I gotta say," he remarked.

"We shouldn't be out here long, if we're lucky," Capala assured him. She swallowed. "If we're lucky."

"Better start groping the old rabbits' foot then, huh?" Robin grinned. Capala smiled, and they walked together.

The soldiers walked just behind them, their feet moving in a united march, not a single step out of place. Capala guided them through the trees, several hours passing in the gloom of Tir Na Nog. Snow fell around them, a growing blizzard making them hunch down in their clothes. Soon, the howling ice storm became too dangerous for them to walk around in.

"Cap, we have to stop," Puck said, his cheeks a bright pink.

"I-It's not far," the woman replied, her teeth chattering. "We just need to keep going."

"And f-freeze?"

She ignored him. "There!"

Robin followed her gaze through the trees to glimpse a small cabin hiding in the brush. The pair started sprinting after it, following their line of sight far into the woods. They ran until they sweat, the cold air making them struggle to breathe fully. Soon they broke the tree-line, and Puck collapsed in the snow in front of the cabin. As he breathed deep, he noticed the blizzard was avoiding the house. Just outside the faded wooden fence that surrounded the building, snow built in huge mounds, but the house itself didn't have a snowflake on it.

He blinked and looked back to the trees. They had lost the babysitters, as well. "This place is weird," he declared, as Capala helped him to his feet. Robin shivered as the ice clung to his clothes.

"Puck." Robin felt Capala's cold hand reach up to his cheek and make him look at her. Her eyes were wide, the bright blue irises standing out among the white snow. She swallowed. "I...I don't know what's going to happen when we get in there. Just...this means something to me, more than you know. Just trust me. Promise me you'll let me do the talking,"

The trickster felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck, but he nodded. "I can't promise that I'll keep my mouth shut for long," he said, forcing a smile, "but I'll try."

Capala tried to smile and failed, bowing her head and dropping her hand from his face. The pair trudged through the snow up to the gate of the fence. The rusted hinges on the faded wooden gate squeaked loudly as Capala swung it open. In the yard in front of the cabin, great thorny stalks grew up from under the ground, giant brambles twisted around the fencing and around the house. Dry, cracked ground made up the front lawn, and the air hummed with strange magic.

They stepped up to the front door. Capala rapped her knuckles on it in two brief strikes. When no one answered, she turned the knob and swung the door open.

The pair stepped inside. The house was empty. Dirty, filthy, and dark. Tattered curtains covered the grimy windows, and rats scurried along the ground and into cracks in the walls. "Thorne?" Capala said aloud, her fingers lingering on the hilt of her gun. "Thorne, I'm back."

"So you are." A deep, powerful and slightly amused voice echoed off the walls, coming from an unseen source. The pair of fey tensed up. Capala swallowed and continued pacing around the house, counting her steps carefully to avoid piles of rat feces. "It's been a long time."

"It has," Capala murmured. They rounded a corner into another empty room. Puck looked back over his shoulder, a cool breeze running past his neck inside the building. He shuddered as the shadows behind him twisted and danced into terrible images. "I need a favor."

"I know." Something shifted behind them, and the two fey turned around to follow the noises. The unseen voice continued to speak. "But I seem to recall a vow you made, all those years ago."

"And I intend to carry it out." Capala's jaw tightened. "But you can't help me if you're dead."

"Maybe not. You never know. I am me, after all." A pause. "I see you've brought a friend along."

"...He's no concern of yours."

"Ah, Capala," the voice purred. "I wonder what he would think of you, if he _really _knew you. Knew everything you've done." When Capala didn't reply, he went on. "I wonder what he'd think if he knew exactly what happened to the last man you loved, Cap."

Capala halted. "You have no right to talk about him," she whispered.

"Don't I? I killed him. I heard the last words he said, as the blood spilled from his neck. He asked for you, Capala. Called your name and wanted you by his side. I suppose it's a blessing he never knew the truth."

In one swift motion, Capala drew her gun from it's holster. "I'll kill you," she swore. Even in the darkness, Robin could see shining tears dripping down her cheeks. "I promised him that. You beat me once, and I won't let it happen again."

"Ah," the man said. "But I thought you needed me."

Suddenly, flames burst into life on fixtures stuck to the walls, the bright light making the pair cry out as their eyes adjusted. When they looked back, a man stood in the center of the room. All grime and filth had disappeared.

Capala trained her gun on his heart. "Thorne," she spat.

The man smiled. White hair tumbled down to his shoulders, and night-black eyes gleamed. A wide, toothy smile spread across his face, one that sent chills down Puck's spine. "Capala," he said. "It's a pleasure to see you again."


	9. Chapter Eight

"I could kill you," Capala whispered. "I could kill you right now, and avenge him."

"But where's the fun in that?" the man asked, his dark eyes sparkling. His teeth were pointed.

"Fuck you," the woman spat.

The man smirked. "Rather rude of you."

"Who are you?" Robin asked in a reverent whisper. He couldn't stop himself from asking.

The man grinned. "I, Goodfellow, am Thorne. Killer of kings, founder of empires and destroyer of civilizations."

Puck swallowed. "An impressive resume for someone I've never heard of."

"For most of my life, I've stuck to the mortal world." Thorne smirked again. "Humans have a wonderful bloodlust. Gives me plenty to do. Of course, I do make rare exceptions." He winked at Capala.

Robin felt Capala tremble beside him. His slid his hand into hers, trying to give her some silent comfort. "How adorable," Thorne remarked. "He thinks he loves you."

Capala took a shaky breath. "Thorne, we can settle our differences later. For now...I need you to kill Queen Meghan."

Thorne smiled. "Isn't that interesting?" he said. "How you can throw away an entire history with one phrase like that. 'Settle our differences,' as if it's a lover's quarrel about who left the toilet seat up."

"Thorne," Capala said, her voice warning.

The assassin cocked his head to one side. "Capala, you really don't know, do you? Just whose bidding you're doing."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Really, I don't."

"Hm." Thorne smiled. "Did you know that General Arrakis had a daughter, Cap?"

Cap froze. "A daughter?" she repeated.

The man nodded. "Yes. Your beloved General, your boss, your commander. He had a plan in mind for you, you know, before you...lost your nerve."

The iron soldier clenched her hands into fists, crushing Robin's fingers in her grip. "Stop this."

"He taught young Gage all of his ideas. All of his lovely conspiracies. He wanted to start a revolution, Cap. He believed he was right and everyone else was wrong. He thought his beliefs gave him the right to dictate who lives and who dies." He smiled. "And it seems he's passed this belief onto his daughter."

"Stop."

"You followed his every order, Cap. You did whatever he told you, because you wanted to believe in something. And when he told you someone was getting in the way of his grand vision, well...you didn't hesitate."

"_Stop!" _Capala pulled away from Puck, stepping closer to Thorne.

"Arrakis told you that for a price, no one would miss him. When you found me, you didn't even ask Arrakis who he was aside from his number. You ordered a professional killer to end a person's life, and it didn't even occur to you to ask for his name."

Capala pointed her gun between his eyes. Tears fell down her cheeks. "I w-will end you," she croaked.

"So you gave me the order. You gave me the order, and I ended him. I watched the blood drain from his body. I listened to his last words. He asked for you, Cap. He loved you."

Capala tightened her grip on the trigger. She was sobbing, openly now. "Stop," she whispered.

Thorne took the final step, coming close enough so the gun touched his chest. He spoked in a whisper. "His name was Xylem."

Capala let out a tortured scream, striking Thorne across the face and beating him until the flesh peeled from his face and left blood splattered across the floor. Puck jumped forward, trying to stop her from killing him. He pulled on her arm but couldn't stop her as she released wordless howls of rage, sobbing and shouting as she pounded on Thorne's body.

But Thorne fought back.

He pushed himself to his feet and produced a knife from one of his sleeves, slashing the side of her arm open. She cried out and fired her gun. The shot flew over his shoulder and into the wall behind him. They grappled on the floor, sharing punches and strikes across the face and body.

"You promised you'd kill me!" Thorne shouted, his voice coloured with insanity. "Now keep that promise!"

He took hold of her chest and threw her against the wall, leaving a dent in the plaster. She grunted and Puck saw her head hit the wall, leaving a trail of blood as Capala crumpled to the ground. She groaned and tried to get up, but Thorne kicked her in the stomach and kept her down. She shouted and rolled out of the way of his next strike, forcing herself to her feet and launching herself at the assassin. Blood matted her hair, but she unleashed a flurry of blows on Thorne's joints and various weak spots.

But it didn't stop him. He pulled her into a headlock and kept her close, trying to choke her out. She flung her head backwards in an attempt to hit his chin and failed. If she moved her legs he could pin her and finish her. She flailed wildly. "You tried to kill me three years ago," Thorne hissed in her ear. "I defeated you then and I'll defeat you now. Only this time, I won't leave you alive to suffer."

Now, all this time Robin had been standing by, unsure of what to do. Any other time, he would have jumped in right about now, dagger swinging and ready for blood. But this fight seemed too familiar to him. It was the fight of old enemies, a duel that reminded him too much of his own fights with Ash. But watching the fight as it went on, Puck knew Capala would lose.

_Ah, screw it, _Robin thought. _I'm not going to let her die because she's too stubborn to admit she needs help._

Puck pulled the dagger from his boot and flung it at the assassin. Not expecting the attack, Thorne cried out and whipped his head towards the jester. Before the trickster could even take a step forward, Capala ran out the last adrenaline she had and delivered a devastating blow to the side of Thorne's head, making the assassin fall back and cry out.

She'd made him see stars, if only for a moment, and she pressed the advantage. Another few blows to the skull got her too close, and he pinned her to the ground. Capala picked up her gun that had been dropped in the scuffle and pointed it to his head. Simultaneously, Thorne pressed a blade to her neck. The last flurry of movements had taken only a few seconds, too fast for Robin to intervene. "A stalemate," Thorne murmured. "Better than last time, Cap. Faster this time too."

"I've had three years of practice," Capala grunted.

"Indeed." Another second passed. Thorne got to his feet, but pressed a boot down on Capala's stomach to keep her pinned to the floor. "You're lucky Goodfellow was there to save you. And on another day, I would punish him for that. But that is not this day." He raised his chin. "Gage already paid me to kill Meghan. She wanted to test your loyalty, and it seems you failed."

Thorne lifted his foot from Capala's stomach. "Three years ago, I left you on my doorstep, near death. I wanted to see what you would do. I have not been disappointed." He paused. "Goodbye, Capala."

And then the lights went out.

* * *

><p>Puck fell to his knees, his hands outstretched to find Capala in the darkness. The smell wafting into his nose told him the house had returned to the way it was when they'd first entered. Filthy. "Cap?" he asked. "Cap, where are you?" His hand brushed something warm.<p>

Capala gave a weak chuckle. "Robin, that's my boob. Not the time, love."

Puck felt a smile spread across his face as he followed her chest to her arm by touch. He dragged her close to him, laying her head in his lap. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," she coughed, spitting crimson on the floor. "I just had the shit beat out of me, and now I'm lying on the floor in a mix of my own blood and rat shit. How's your day?"

Robin chuckled. "You're fun when you almost get yourself killed." He brush a stray hair off her face, his eyes now adjusted to the darkness. "We need to get you out of here, and cleaned up."

"Where are we going to go, Puck?" she asked. "It's a blizzard or rat crap. Not great options."

"We'll find somewhere," the jester insisted. "We always do."

Capala swallowed. She outstretched a hand to cup his cheek. "I'm sorry, Robin," she whispered. "I'm sorry you had to hear my story that way."

"...I just wish you'd told me before."

The woman sighed, dropping her hand from his face. "What was I supposed to say? There was never a good time."

"Is there ever a good time for something like that?"

Capala shook her head in his lap. "I guess not. I just..."

Puck interrupted her, bringing her from his lap to lie against her shoulder. He whispered in her ear. "Cap, I want to hear what happened. From you."

A moment passed. Capala took a deep breath. "Three years ago, I worked under a General Arrakis. He...he had a lot of conspiracy theories. He wasn't a fan of the then new Queen Meghan, or much else for that matter. I...I was his top underling, and he told me all his conspiracies. Thing was, I believed him. I wanted to move up the ladder with him, start a revolution with him. So I did whatever he told me.

"I had a fiancee back then. A techie, called Xylem. He handled the computer stuff at the military base. We met when I was promoted high enough that I had to do my own paperwork. One of the computers in the office I visited always seemed to be broken when I was around, giving him the chance to come over and talk to me." She smiled. "He had the best smile. And this big, loud laugh as well. He always seemed to be laughing at something, like life was some big joke and he was just along for the ride. I...I loved him."

The smile faded. "But Arrakis decided he didn't like having someone around who knew so much about the computer system. It's much easier to hack in and move some things around if no one at the office knows what they're doing. So he gave me a military number and had me contact Grimalkin. Grim led me to Thorne, I gave Thorne the number...and only later did I found out Xylem was dead.

"I asked for a transfer, then. I was terrified for what Arrakis would do to me, let alone Thorne, if I told anyone. I went to a different military sector, but I got it in my head to avenge Xylem's death. I went and found Thorne's place, and I fought him. I lost. He beat me within an inch of my life, and left me on his front porch. I crawled away and managed to fix myself up, but since then I refused to make friends, to talk to anyone, to do anything. I worked, and I trained, and I made ready for the next time Thorne and I met.

"Arrakis left the military shortly after I transferred. He dropped off the map for a while, and I guess...I guess Gage is taking up the family business. I just..." She took a deep, shuddering breath as her eyes began to water. "...I just want to know you don't hate me for what I did."

They sat there for a few minutes, Capala just breathing and Robin stroking her hair. "We can't change what's already been done, Cap," Puck murmured. "And god knows I've got a list of things I'd change if I had the chance. But we can and will move on." He pulled her closer. "And I'll love you as long as you'll have me."

"...Thank you, Puck."


	10. Chapter Nine

Despite it's small outer appearance, the cabin acted like a labyrinth once you were inside. Robin took several minutes to find the main room of the house, the one with a fireplace, and moved Capala in there after cleaning up what dirt he could. He lit a globe of faery fire in the dusty hearth and set about finding some bandages for the iron soldier's wounds. They had no clean, spare cloth to make bandages out of, so Puck used glamour to conjure small strips of fabric that would fade away after a little while, making them almost pointless. The ground outside the cabin refused to grow anything, despite Robin throwing copious amounts of glamour at it, so they had no food either.

They stayed the night there, drinking water they melted from the fallen snow and listening to the sounds of their grumbling bellies as they sat huddled around the fireplace. Robin gave it his best, but the fire he made didn't provide much warmth. They slept fitfully, tossing and turning and clutching each other in their sleep as each fey's demons haunted their dreams. In the back of his mind, Puck felt this house and the world around it was fighting them.

Robin woke first after several hours' rest. No light penetrated the thick curtains covering every window. He staggered to the front door and opened it, squinting into the bright glow of day. He noticed the snow had stopped and went back inside. He knelt down and shook Capala awake, careful of her various wounds. "Cap," he whispered. "It's morning. We don't have much time."

"Time for what?" the woman yawned, hissing in pain as she sat up.

"We have to warn Meghan."

Capala blinked. Her hand went up to her hair, feeling the growing curls between her fingers. "Yes, we do," she murmured. "I let Arrakis take my world from me once before. I won't let his daughter do it again."

They lurched to their feet, each fey leaning on the other, and staggered out of Thorne's cabin and through the frozen forests of Tir Na Nog.

* * *

><p>Hours passed, each one more hungry and exhausted than the last. The storm had passed on, but a terrible chill filled the air. Ice crunched under their boots and they shivered as crystals of ice formed on their clothes if they didn't keep moving.<p>

Shadows seemed to linger at the corners of Puck's vision. Wicked creatures with glowing yellow slits for eyes watched him when he wasn't paying attention, disappearing when he focused on them. The darkness grew with every step they took, and Robin would turn around to see the path behind them pitch-black, like the shadows were following them.

Capala grew more and more pale, shivering and small. Her eyes seemed to dull and lose their sparkle, and her lips turned blue. Robin would constantly fiddle with her bandages, but they were thin and fragile and lasted for very little time. The pair felt sick to their stomachs from so much action and so little food.

The twilight of Tir Na Nog grew darker. A cold breeze on Robin's neck made goosebumps rise on his skin. He could feel Capala trembling beside him. "I can't go on any farther," she mumbled. "I'll f-freeze."

"Then w-we should stop." Puck took a shaky breath. "Off the m-main path."

The woman pointed. "T-There."

Of the edge of the path, an overhang of snow cast shadows over the entrance of a small cave. The duo stumbled over there, Robin casting a dim ball of faery light that hovered over their heads. "God knows what's living in here," he muttered.

"If we kill it, we can eat it," Capala pointed out.

"Good point."

Deep inside the cave, it was dry and warm, where the cold breezes from the front of the cave could not reach. A few rocks and some clumps of fur from god-knew-what kind of animal made a fire much warmer than anything Puck's drained glamour could conjure up. Here, the dirt floor didn't have the same allergy to plant life that Thorne's lawn did, so Robin grew something edible, which they then boiled and ate.

"Feel better, Cap?" the jester asked.

The woman nodded. "Much." She nibbled on a leaf. "Bit bland, though."

"Sorry, I forgot my spices back at the cabin."

Capala smiled briefly. "How long do you think until we get back to the Iron Kingdom?"

All traces of humor left Robin's face. "We're in Tir Na Nog," he said, staring into the fire. "Ages away, and that's assuming the Wyldwood isn't being difficult, which...it kind of has been."

A few minutes passed. "Do you sing, Robin?" Capala asked.

"I...yes. A little. Why?" A grin spread across his face. "Aww, Cap, do you want me to sing with you? That's _so romantic_..."

"No, I just...back when we were walking to the dryads, ages and ages ago, remember when we met Grimalkin?"

"Yes...?"

"He mentioned a song. Do you remember what it was?"

Puck forced his mind back to the old conversation. He put on a wistful smile. "'Why I Wander,'" he said. "I wasn't paying attention, then, but he was telling me the name of a song. I knew the lyrics, but not the name."

"Well, if you know the lyrics...can you sing it for me now?"

Robin paused, then smiled. "_Long ago, I knew a maiden fair..."_

* * *

><p>They slept snuggled together for warmth. Wrapped in his arms, Puck kept a firm grasp on the woman in the night, feeling safe, fed and warm. For a while, their troubles abandoned them.<p>

Of course, then life had to go and screw everything up.

Robin woke to cold. The fire had gone out, leaving the inner depths of the cave drowning in darkness. He got to his feet, his arms around himself to hold in as much warmth as he could. He noticed, then, that Capala was gone.

He immediately fell to his knees, scrabbling around in the dirt to see if she'd rolled over or just gotten up in the night for some reason and fallen back asleep in a different place, but he had no luck. She was gone.

_It's fine, Puck, _he told himself, as his brain went into panic mode. _I'm sure she's fine. Maybe she just got up to pee. Yeah, I'm sure that's it. She's fine._

He looked out to the mouth of the cave. _Of course, it couldn't hurt to check. _

So he lurched outside, where he found the storm had picked back up. Mother Nature hurled barrels of frost down on him as he trudged through the snow. Every stride crunched down the snow, which was so deep he had to draw his knees up to his chest just to take another step. "Capala!" he shouted, trying to see through the rain of ice and look around for the woman. "_Capala!_"

Off in the distance, he thought he heard a distant reply. He did his best to start running, flailing through the snow to travel as quick as he could. He stumbled, fell, and got a face full of snow. He sputtered and threw himself back on his feet and ran until the trees grew thick enough to make the snowfall thin enough for him to sprint.

"Capala!" he shouted again. This time, no reply came. He stood between the trees, cold and isolated. Which way led back to the cave, again? He had forgotten.

"_Robbie?"_

The jester whirled around. "Princess?" he asked, shocked. He didn't see Meghan anywhere, but her voice was unmistakable. "Where are you?"

"Please, Robbie," Meghan's voice begged. "He's coming. Don't let him kill me."

"Who's coming?" Puck unsheathed the dagger from his boot and waved it around in front of him, trying to find the source of the voice.

"Thorne. Please, Robbie!" Her pleading voice became more distant, trailing off in the direction of his right. "_Help me!_"

Her terrified voice spurred him into action. He ran after the voice as Meghan wailed, crying and screaming for him. He stumbled in the snow several times and the air was cold and thin, making him struggle to breath clearly in his panic. The shadows followed him all around, clawing at his skin, hair and clothes. Strange cackling penetrated his ears, shaking him to his core as he chased after Meghan's voice.

When he broke the tree line into yet another patch of snow, he fell over his own two feet and tumbled through the frost. Ice clumped in his hair and he had long lost all feeling in his fingers and toes. His nose and lips had gone numb as well. Sliding down a small hill, he landed in the middle of a frozen lake, the snow falling all around him. He tried to stand up and brush the snow off him, intending to go after Meghan once more when wicked laughter filled the area.

_I'm an idiot, _Robin realised. _Look at me; __Robin Goodfellow, led to his death by a common will-o-the-wisp._

He pressed down on the ice to push himself back up and the ice cracked under his touch. He froze. The lake must have frozen, then melted again when the blizzard died down, and now it was in the process of freezing back up again. He was lucky not to have cracked the ice when he first rolled over here, but it was too thin for him to make any sudden movements, like standing up.

"Puck?" Capala emerged from between the trees, looking slightly confused and wary. "What are you doing?"

"I..." He swallowed. "I came out to look for you, and got, um..."

"Lost?"

"More like led astray by a will-o-the-wisp."

Capala cracked a smile. "Dumbass. I had to pee, and thought I heard something so I wandered off for a bit. It's fine. Here, let me-"

"No!" The woman stopped, surprised. Robin swallowed. "The ice is too thin," he explained. "If you try to walk over here, you'll break the ice and fall in."

Her eyes widened. "Okay, then just _slowly _walk over here." She outstretched a hand and put a tentative foot on the edge of the ice.

Puck nodded and began to take small, careful steps across the lake. He reached out as he reached the other side, where Capala was waiting for him. She matched his steps and they slowly approached one another.

"See?" Capala said with a smile. "Easy."

They got closer and closer, their steps slow and steady like that turtle from the fairytale Robin never liked, and they got close enough their fingers brushed together. Robin opened his mouth to make a smart remark.

And then the ice cracked.

Their eyes met, shocked and terrified, before Puck fell.

Complete darkness engulfed him, the roaring of water rushing past his ears quickly silenced by a horrible nothing. He clamped his mouth shut and flailed in the water, his fingers rising above the water level and brushing the air before sinking back down into the lake. He wanted to swim, but his limbs had become tight and frozen. His fingers started refusing to move, his body not responding to his commands as he stared up at the light shining through the water's surface.

Then the water currents pushed against him as Capala jumped in after him.

Bubbles dribbling from his lips and nose as he lost the strength to flail, he felt Capala pull him up and out of the water so he gasped for breath. He tried to breathe before his mouth was completely above the surface, giving him a mouthful of water. He coughed and sputtered, and Capala helped him climb on top of the ice.

Another piece of the ice broke, pushing him back under the water and nearly making him drown again. The pair fought to get him on land, and when they reached the end of the lake they collapsed in the snow.

Looking at Capala, Robin saw the water dripping from the woman's hair already begin to freeze into small icicles. "Ar-re you ok-kay?" she said, her body trembling from the cold.

Puck felt his fingers start to freeze together. "N-No," he replied. They snuggled together, trying to get warm and failing.

"R-Robin," Capala whimpered.

"I-I fucked-d up," the trickster said. "I fucked u-up."

"J-Just stay here w-with me," Capala whispered. "W-We'll be fine." Snow began to pile on top of them, camouflaging their frozen bodies. Soon, they were gone from sight almost completely.

"I l-love you, Cap," Puck said.

"I love y-you t-too, Robin."

Then darkness consumed them.


	11. Chapter Ten

Puck's eyes fluttered open. A hand pressed a bowl to his lips, and he drank. It tasted like vegetable stew. "Good shit," he said, when the bowl had been retracted. "Give the chef my compliments."

"Much appreciated, Robin."

The trickster jumped. "Fission? What are you doing here?"

The general gave him a weary smile. "Your 'babysitters,' as you called them, came back and told everyone you'd run away. I went after you, and found you both frozen in the snow." He paused. "_Did_ you run away?"

Puck shook his head. "We found Thorne, and...the guy's a piece of work, and we ended up losing the babysitters in some kind of enchanted forest shit outside of his house. It was weird." He stopped. "Where's Capala?" He sat up on the bed, looking around for her in the small, dimly illuminated tent. She wasn't lying in either of the other two unoccupied beds.

Fission gently pushed him back down. "She's outside, getting some fresh air. She recovered better than you did, but she's not the one who almost drowned." He frowned. "She's been very quiet, though. She refuses to say almost anything."

"That sounds about right," Robin admitted. "She gets quiet when she's in a mood."

As if on command, Capala entered the tent. "Puck?" she whispered, eyes wide.

"Cap." The trickster jumped up from his bed and pulled into an embrace, pressing his lips to hers. Her skin felt cold from being outside, which contrasted with his warmth from being in bed. Her smell and touch felt comforting beyond measure. When they broke for air, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Likewise." The woman smiled.

"I hate to bring either of you bad news," Fission interrupted, making both fey turn to look at him, "but we have to go. Quickly."

"What's happened?" Capala asked. The gentleness that had been in her voice only a moment before was replaced by wary apprehension.

"When I left the headquarters to go after you, Gage was planning to attack the Iron Kingdom with Thorne at her side, to strike while they were still rebuilding."

"That's crazy!" Robin shouted.

"I'm afraid I agree with you. The rebellion is...not what I thought it was."

"You are not alone in that," Capala muttered. Puck put his arm around her and held her close.

"Yes, well...that was a few days ago. We may still have time to stop them. They could still be heading out. If we reach the Iron Kingdom first, we can warn the royal forces and perhaps give them the time we need to prepare."

"Then we have to go," the woman said. "We can't waste another minute."

"But are either of you strong enough to travel?" Fission asked.

"We don't have a choice, General," Capala said, her voice low. "It's do or die."

The general swallowed, then nodded. "Then let's ride."

* * *

><p>Time seemed to pass in a blur. Now with horses to carry them through the heavy snowfall, the trio of fey flew down the path. Capala's wounds had finally been bandaged with proper wrappings, and Fission had brought with him plenty of extra food. Breads, fruits and dried meat gave them the energy they desperately needed. But no improvements on their current situation could dispel the nervousness in Robin's heart. Would they be there in time to help Meghan and Glitch prepare for the invasion? Would they have the manpower to defend themselves at all?<p>

Or would they be too late?

Puck kept these thoughts to himself and rode in silence. The group followed their steps back through the different trods; back to the rebellion's headquarters, through the forest to the dryads, before finally arriving a few miles out from the Iron Kingdom. "We're close," Fission said. "Prepare yourselves."

"For what?" the jester asked.

"For whatever may lie ahead."

The two men made to ride forward, but Capala stopped them. "Smell the air," she said, her eyes wide.

They did. "Smoke," Puck whispered.

And they rode on. Pushing their horses harder and harder, they flew past the tree line and into the desert surrounding the great city. Smoke rose to the sky and fire gleamed at them even from their distance. Tanks lined around the outer walls blew craters into the steel, making metal squeal and cry against the violent blows. The trio glanced at each other. "We may be too late," Fission said, "but I did not come all this way to turn back. I will die here, for my people, if it means giving you two the time you need to reach the palace and protect the queen."

Capala nodded. "Whether you live or die, Fission, you are a great and honourable man. You will not be forgotten."

"Not least by the dryads," Robin said. "Because of you, what is left of my family is still alive. I can't thank you enough for that."

Fission swallowed, a wave of emotion overtaking him. When he composed himself, his voice was hard and determined. "Then we fight."

The trio launched their horses into the fray, disregarding the smoke and fire and sickness that burning in Puck's lungs. Fission gave out a roar and a sword shone in his hand, pulled from the sheath hung at his waist. He ran towards one of the tanks that guarded the front entrance and stuck out his blade like a lance, sparks rising as metal hit metal. The blade tore open the tank like a knife through butter, the sliced metal red and fiery.

Suddenly, everyone in the area took notice. All the local forces turned away from attacking the wall to fire upon this strange man taken by madness who slaughtered their soldiers and tanks like it was nothing. Puck and Capala took their chance, and forced themselves not to look back as they rode into the city. The sound of Fission shouting and roaring faded away behind them as they were enveloped by smoke.

All at once, the horrible smell and burning of iron consumed the jester. He'd thought the adrenaline in his system might help, but it didn't do shit. The smoke didn't help either, burning even Capala's lungs and making it impossible to see. The woman coughed. "We have to keep going!" she shouted, struggling to be heard over the sounds of screaming, gunfire and explosions around them. "Just keep your head down and go forward!"

Robin did his best. _Just keep breathing, _he told himself. _When we get to the palace, maybe we can hole up in the Summer Wing. _

They turned a corner around a bombed building, fresh fires burning in the rubble. Capala coughed. "We've gone the wrong way," she announced. "We need to turn back."

But gunfire met them on the opposite side. Soldiers shot at each other as they climbed the roads, the pair unable to tell which side was which from their inability to see their uniforms in all the smoke. "Keep going," Puck breathed, slumping down on his horse. He felt his body starting to give out. "I...we have to...make it..."

Capala saw him starting to fade and dismounted her horse. She swung onto his, sitting in front of him and spurring the horse to action. The jester placed his arms around her waist and hoped what little strength he had left would keep him on the saddle until they got to the palace. "Just hold on, love," she murmured, kicking the horse onwards despite its protests. "Just stay with me."

They avoided what they could, speeding past bullets and soldiers and all manner of things, never stopping to ask if they were friend or foe. They just ran. Soon they found the palace, the great iron door that marked the entrance bashed open by what looked like a tank. Robin felt light-headed. "Cap," he croaked. "This was...a stupid idea."

"I know, love," Capala replied. "Just hang on. Hold tight."

They raced through the hallways, which were suspiciously empty. The palace seemed quieter than the streets of the kingdom, and it disturbed Capala. "Your Majesty!" she shouted. The horses hooves clacked against the metal floor as the beast came to a stop. "...Queen Meghan! Where are you?"

A distant scream echoed in a faraway room. Capala spurred the horse into action. They raced through the halls, but found a firing squad waiting for them in one of the rooms. Bullets flew past their ears, the pair hunkered down behind the horses neck. The horse was not so lucky. With a pained whinny, it reared back before falling to the ground, it's riders with it. When all three landed, blood dripped from wounds in the horses chest to the floor, soaking into the feys clothes.

Capala squirmed out from under the dying beast and pulled Puck out with her. She took her position behind a corner and began firing on their attackers. Puck struggled to breathe. His lungs refused to move, like a weight was sitting on his chest and keeping him from inhaling. But the terrified scream made him cling to life. Capala didn't hear the shriek over the gunfire, her eyes trained on the half-dozen people fighting them. But the trickster heard it. He crawled across the floor, the steel frying his skin with every movement, until he found the room where he heard the scream.

He arrived in the throne room, the lights on the ceiling flickering and dim. Tapestries on the walls had fallen and dust covered them. The regal chairs at the head of the room had fallen over. Chunks of debris littered the floor. And Thorne was attacking Meghan.

With another scream, Meghan flung a flurry of sparking wires in the assassins' direction. He sidestepped it easily, and a dagger flew from his hand into the wall, just missing Meghan's head. Robin noticed the Iron Queen was covered in blood. "Thorne," he croaked, but neither person replied. No one noticed him in the doorway. He tried to crawl further into the room, to summon any glamour he could, but to no avail. His magic had deserted him, and his consciousness was soon to follow.

"Puck!" Capala shouted, and she knelt beside him. "I scared them off," she explained, her eyes wide with worry. "Are you okay?"

"Don't...worry about me," the trickster choked out, "Thorne is...after Meghan. Save her."

The woman bit her lower lip and nodded, rising to her feet. She strode into the throne room, her gun in her hand and her arm outstretched. "Thorne!" she cried, drawing the two combatants' attention to her. "I won't let you do this!"

Thorne seemed shocked, before letting a wicked smile spread across his face. "It's too late," he purred. His arm moving in a flash, he had Meghan in a headlock, pressing something against her lips before she could react. An instinctual gasp of surprise came from Oberon's daughter, and her eyes widened. Thorne released her and she fell to the floor, both hands around her throat as she started coughing.

"What did you do?" Capala hissed, keeping her gun trained on the assassin.

The man smirked. "Goodbye, Capala. I look forward to our next encounter."

Meghan fell to her knees, one hand wrapped around something embedded in her arm. Thorne turned to saunter out of the throne room, most likely to disappear as soon as he went out of sigh. Robin outstretched a hand to Meghan, but could do nothing. He knew, now, that Capala had a choice; go after Thorne and not let him get away, or go to Meghan's side and hope there was still a chance to save her. In his heart, the jester didn't know what Capala would do. And that scared him.

Without hesitation, the soldier made her choice.

Capala bolted to Meghan's side, lying her head in her lap. As the jester crawled over, he heard the female soldier muttering to herself, almost too fast to hear.

"The poison, down her body...through her veins...few minutes..."

Puck heard Thorne leave the room, one footstep, two footstep...gone. The trickster limped over to Capala's side, vision swimming and his stomach churning. His lungs burned, but he wanted to see Meghan would survive. When he saw her face, he gasped.

Meghan's face had gone an ashen grey. Her eyes were wide and glazed over, her body convulsing as strange noises came from her throat. Some sort of powder left marks on her tongue and lips. Flecks of it stuck to the back of her mouth. "I've seen this before," Capala whispered. "We don't have long."

Capala looked around wildly, searching for something. She jumped to her feet. "Stay with her, Robin!" the woman shouted, before running out of the room.

The trickster took a deep breath and struggled over to Meghan's side. "Hey," he whispered, forcing a smile. He coughed, and felt blood appear on his lips.

Meghan didn't reply. Her body had stopped convulsing, the movements dying down to uncontrollable twitching. Her pupils were dilated, and she fought to keep breathing. "We're gonna be fine, okay Princess?" Still no reply. Puck felt tears start to fall. "Please don't die, princess," he whispered. "I've already lost Aster. I can't lose you too."

Meghan gave a deep, shuddering breath, and Robin felt his body start to give up. "Is this the end?" he asked. "Am I going to go back to Aster? Will I meet you in the afterlife, princess?" He gave another bloody cough, spitting red on the debris-covered floor. "I don't want to leave Capala, not now. But I can't hold on much longer."

Another mortar landed, making the building shake and dust fall down on the pair's faces. The trickster could hear screaming coming from a distant hallway. He let his eyes fall shut. His fingers crawled across the ground, finding Meghan's palm and holding her hand in his. "I loved you, Princess," he murmured. "I always did, and I always will. I guess I've changed too, huh? I'm not Robbie Goodfell, any more. Hell, I don't know if I'm Robin Goodfellow. I feel different, so different now. I don't know who I am."

He squeezed her hand. "But it doesn't matter. We're all the same, in death. I wonder where fey go, when they die. We're not like mortals. There is no heaven, nor hell. Or wherever mortals go, if there are such places. Honestly, I doubt it. But do we go back to our dreams, the dreams that made us? Or do we just go into the darkness, like where I was when I was asleep, but there we never wake up."

His eyes shut, his body aching, Puck felt his breaths come shallower and shallower. He wanted to die, there, on the floor. He couldn't stand being alive any more, couldn't stand the pain or the fear or the worry. As his mind threatened to fall into darkness, he heard Capala run back into the room.

"I'm here- Puck! No, no no no no...shit. Fuck._ Fuck_." The soldier breathed heavily. She knelt next to him, placing his face between her hands. He felt droplets of water fall on his bare skin. "I can't...I can't..._fuck." _She took a shaky, sobbing breath. "He'd never forgive me if I didn't heal Meghan first."

Something splashed on the floor next to him, something smelling foul and feeling thick. "Drink," Capala murmured. A few tense, silent minutes passed. Then Meghan sat up beside him, coughing and spitting and vomiting on the floor beside them.

"What...?" the queen croaked. "Robin!"

"I know, my lady. But you were were poisoned. You have to get out of here, get genuine medical assistance."

Another explosion rained down. "But what about-"

"_I know._" The trickster heard terrible sorrow in Capala's voice. "I'm staying. You run. Glitch and his men are not far off; we're pushing the rebels back, we're winning, and Glitch can get you to a place of safety until we do."

"But what about you?"

"I'm not leaving him."

And then the darkness refused to wait any longer. His senses abandoned him, and Robin Goodfellow knew no more.


	12. Chapter Eleven

The jester woke up, his brain registering before his body. _I'm alive, _his mind said. He forced his eyes open, tried to sit up on his bed and failed. Outside his window, birds chirped, and a cool breeze wafted in from somewhere. The smell of wood and flowers filled the room. "The fuck?" was all he could manage.

"Robin," came a familiar voice. "Thank god."

Puck's eyes fluttered open. Sitting at the edge of his bed, Ash looked both relieved and stunned.

"Ash? What's going on?"

"You've been asleep for several days," the Unseelie fey explained. "Unconscious. We were afraid you'd gone under again, like when you'd been shot."

"'We?'"

"Myself, Meghan and Officer Capala. We're all fine, and we've been taking turns watching over you." He sighed. "Thank god you've woken up."

"But...but what about the invasion? What's happened?"

"Taken care of. Your man, Fission, kept reinforcements from overwhelming us. Thanks to him, we were able to push back enough to gain the advantage and overtake the rebels. We've captured their leaders; a woman named Gage and her father Arrakis, a man who used to have a position in the Iron Army, oddly enough, but who resigned a few years ago." The trickster shuddered, but the other man didn't seem to notice.

"That's...good." Robin paused. "Ash, I have to ask; are you okay? I mean, the last time I saw you, you were lying on the floor with blood all over you."

The other man frowned, then his eyes widened as he remembered the last time they'd seen each other. "Back during the first invasion," he realised. "I'd been knocked out by a piece of debris." He chuckled. "I'd forgotten. Yes, I'm fine. I healed up quickly. Still, though. I think your injury is the most concerning here."

The jester smiled. "I guess." He swallowed. "Can I...can I get up? To go see Capala and Meghan?"

"Let me check with one of the nurses." He got up and walked to the door, then paused. "Robin...you don't know how much I appreciate what you've done for Meghan. And the dryads, and everyone else. You've done a lot, and in just one month."

"Has it seriously been that short?" Puck asked.

"It has. I just want to say...you have my thanks. I found out what happened after I recovered from the initial invasion, how you'd taken Meghan on the run. I'm sorry I couldn't be there." The ex-Winter Price sighed. "You've changed, Robin," he said. "For the better, for the worse, it depends on who you ask, but...you're not the same person you were four years ago. You're not even the same person you were a month ago."

"...So everyone keeps telling me," the trickster muttered.

"Everyone's telling you because it's strange. You're Robin Goodfellow, the incorrigible servant of Oberon. You haven't changed in hundreds of years."

"Yeah, well..." Puck swallowed. "...I'm not living someone else's story, any more. I'm not just Oberon's servant, not just a goofball with a lot of enemies. I'm Puck. I have my own life now."

Ash gave the trickster a small, slightly proud nod. "So you have. And I think you're the better for it." With that, he departed into the hallway.

* * *

><p>After Puck got the go-ahead to get up and get dressed, he sent for some food and a fresh change of clothes. He emerged from his bed and stumbled out into the hallway, bumping into Capala as she ran around the corner to his bedroom. "Puck!" she shouted, surprised, and wasted no time in wrapping her arms around him and planting a kiss on his lips. "I heard you woke up. I'm so happy you're safe."<p>

Robin returned her affection with the same ardour, speaking only when they stopped for breath. "Me too." After a moment, they pulled away. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the woman said with a smile. "Ash told us you're healed."

"Yeah. Cap...what's happened? Is Meghan all right? What about the dryads? Fission? Ash told me Gage and Arrakis are in custody but-"

"Robin." The woman put her arms around his neck, effectively silencing him. "Meghan's fine, Barla can't wait to talk to you and explain everything, and Gage and Arrakis are in the dungeons. They will receive a fair trial later in the month, though I doubt they'll get a lenient sentence."

"And Fission?"

The smile faded. "Fission..." She swallowed. "Fission's funeral is tonight, love. He died fighting outside the kingdom. He destroyed any reinforcements that showed up, tanks, soldiers...without him, we might've lost."

Puck took a deep, shaking breath. "That's...I can't believe it."

"I know." The smile came back, sadder and softer. "I told Meghan what he did, how he left the rebels and fought for us to make sure Meghan wouldn't get killed. He won't be forgotten."

"No, he won't." Robin pulled her close, and they shared a less passionate, more sorrowful embrace. They stood like this, enjoying each other's touch as they often did, before Capala stepping away again.

"I can't keep you all to myself, though I'd like to," she smiled. "I'm sure Barla and Meghan want to meet you. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The pair found the dryads housed in the Summer gardens, where Barla first ran over to greet them, launching herself at the trickster and wrapping her arms around him. "Puck!" she exclaimed. "It's so good to see you."<p>

Robin responded by hugging her back and lifting her off the ground with a grin, making her squeal. "It's good to see you too, Barla," he replied. He set her back down on the ground and let the rest of the dryads come over and demand hugs and hellos.

"You won't believe what's happened!" one of them said. "Queen Meghan is finding us a new place to live!" another announced.

Shocked and thrilled, the trickster spoke. "That's...that's fucking amazing. I can't believe it."

"They rescued us from the rebels!" another shouted, pushing through the small crowd. "General Glitch came while you were asleep and got us here!"

"And then we got to ride more horses!"

"And they showed us all around the castle!"

"And they did this..."

"And they did that..."

A long time passed like this, with the dryads relegating every detail about the trip from the Tokyo park back to the Iron Palace. In truth, Puck only half-listened, paying more attention to the fact that the dryads looked _happy, _for the first time since...since Aster had died. He thought about her greeting him before he fell unconscious, about her presence that comforted him as he waited to die. He wondered if she'd be proud of him, seeing him fight to make sure what was left of his family made it to their new home.

"Robbie?" Everyone paused, bowing their heads out of respect as Meghan stepped forward with a shy smile. "I hate to interrupt, but I'll just be a moment. If I may."

"Of course," came the rumble of the dryads, backing away from the trickster.

Meghan came and wrapped her shorter arms around Robin's neck, pulling him in for a chaste hug. "I'm glad you're okay, Robbie," she said.

Puck smiled and returned the hug. "I'm just happy you're alive, Princess."

With a kiss on the cheek, Meghan retracted. "In your absence, I've been really trying to make my people happy," she told him. "Talking to Ash, my advisors, my citizens...my leadership isn't just a thing I have, any more, it's a thing I _earn_. And I can at least say I'm working to earn my people's trust back."

The dryads cheered and the Iron Queen blushed. Ash stepped forward too, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist. "I'm afraid I have to steal Goodfellow and the officer from you," he told the dryads. As they moaned their dissent, he raised a hand. "I'm terribly sorry, but we must pay our respects to a soldier lost in the fight for our kingdom. I'm sure you understand."

A small hand wrapping around his own drew Robin's attention. He looked to see Barla smiling up at him, her big brown eyes filled with pride and sadness. "Aster would be proud of you," she whispered. "I know she would."

Ignoring the sudden tightness in the throat, Puck smiled back and hugged her. "She'd be proud of you too, Barla," he replied. "You're leading the group, now. And I know you'll do it well."

* * *

><p>The fey don't have traditional funerals. Not least because so few people care if someone dies. Death is a rare and generally unimportant thing in the Nevernever. A warrior get killed on the hunt. A mortal wanders through a trod and gets eaten. A phouka upsets someone and gets themselves killed. Bit whoop. Almost never is anyone of any importance killed, and even fewer of those have people that care enough to bury them. Or eat them. The fey have wildly different traditions, depending on who you're talking to and where you are.<p>

But the Iron fey are close enough to mortals that they knew how to hold a funeral, of sorts.

No words were said, as the moon ascended into the sky and stars blinked into existence, one by one. No one spoke as Fissions body was turned to ash and fused into his sword, the cool steel now a shining grey. No one breathed as Fission's sword, the sword that killed so many tanks and rebel soldiers, was placed above the door to the Iron palace, forever a memorial to the man who died fighting so two people could save the queen.

No one knew him well enough to give a speech. No one could find the words to do so, if they tried. And there, looking up at the blade perched over the door, Robin remembered someone else who needed a final goodbye.

* * *

><p>Weeks later, in the new land of the dryads, Robin knelt in front of the biggest tree he had found. A mammoth of a tree, it loomed over the pair of fey standing beneath it and cast a shadow far past them. It sat isolated from the rest of the dryads' home, found only by a small and overgrown path.<p>

"You never got a proper burial," the trickster said, pulling out his knife and carving letters into the old wood. "And now I have time to grieve, so I will. You changed me in every way, making me a new person. A better person. Without you, so much could be different. I love you, and I always will. I will never forget what you've done for me. Never."

He pulled back and Capala knelt to place the items under the lettering, between the great roots of the tree that sunk into the ground. "I didn't know you for very long," the woman said, "and certainly not as well as I would have liked, but...but I know you were a great person. I knew you had a heart bigger than almost anyone else. I know you were good, and kind, and impacted the world more than you know. May you rest in peace."

The word carved into the tree read, '_Aster_,' and underneath the name lay some of her favourite things; the cup she always drank from. A book she'd said a mortal dropped in the forest when she was young and had always treasured. Some of her favourite flowers, that she always seemed to smell of.

Puck felt himself tear up. As water blurred his vision, he waved a hand and the flower took root in the soil. The glamour worked it's way around the tree, creating blossoms all around the roots and made them grow from a few points on the tree trunk. He felt the tears drip down his cheeks.

Capala reached for his hand and squeezed, pulling him to her side and comforting him. "I'm here, Robin," she whispered.

"I'm not sad," he said, voice choked. "I...I'm just glad I got to say goodbye. I did, before. She just...died. Now...now I'm okay."

The woman gave him a sad smile. She didn't speak, just kissed him on the cheek and let her presence comfort him. "What now?" she whispered after a moment.

Puck sniffled and wiped his face with the sleeve of the hand Capala wasn't holding. "Well," he said, "Oberon's probably pissed at me for taking so long to visit. You've got work back at the Iron Kingdom. Grimalkin's still a shifty bastard, and I need to talk to him about a few things, so..."

"I'm not leaving, Robin," Capala murmured. "Meghan will let me go with you, no matter what. You know that. You just tell me where we're going, and I'll stay by your side."

* * *

><p>Puck was finishing up packing his bags, getting ready to leave his family once more. Capala waited just outside the room, preparing for their journey. He lifted the pack over his shoulder and froze when he caught sight of the Cait Sith perched on his bed. "Grimalkin," he said, surprised. "Where have you been?"<p>

"Around," the cat purred. "I see your life has worked out, then. On to the next adventure, I suppose?"

"Yeah. Something like that." Robin felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck. He remembered all the previous times Grimalkin had 'dropped in,' where he'd gotten a cryptic message about how he was being _watched _by some strange forces. He shuddered to think what Grimalkin had in store now. "So, kitty cat. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Nothing in particular. I just wish to congratulate you, Goodfellow. Well done."

Puck frowned. "For what?"

"For fulfilling your duty." Grimalkin's tail flicked. "Your story, at least one of them, is complete. You've accomplished what you were called to do."

"What does that mean?" the jester said, chills going down his spine.

"Just that you are free to live the life you've created for yourself. No one holds sway over you, Robin. You're free." The cat jumped down. "Remember that."

Robin watched him as the cat trotted out the room, distracted only by Capala shouted. "Puck!" Capala called, stepping into the room. The jester glanced over to the woman, but when he looked back, Grimalkin had vanished. "What's taking so long?"

The trickster took a few moments to speak. "...Nothing," he said at last. "Let's go, Cap."

Capala snorted. "You're such a woman," she remarked. "It takes you forever to get ready."

"It does not," Puck scoffed. "I'm very manly. All I need is my...lumberjack...axe, yes, and my...um...beard."

"You don't have a beard."

"Well, that's because I forgot it! That's why it takes me so long!"

She laughed. "Really? So you have to grow a beard before you can go anywhere."

"Yes."

"...You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"That's why you love me, isn't it?"

"...Yes. It is."

"I love you, Cap."

"I love you too, Robin."


	13. The End!

Well, that's the last chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed reading, 'cause I enjoyed writing it. There will be no further Robin and Capala stories (as far as I know) and no further Iron Fey stories (as far as I know). The reason I wrote these two fics is because I wanted to give Puck a story all his own, to give him a world where he was loved and accepted, not just a love interest for Meghan. I wanted him to be _happy._ And I think I achieved that.

Earlier in the story, a _long _time ago back when "Puck's Journey" was still in it's first draft, I had this idea that the story was going to be meta. I thought he'd realise he was in a book, or rather a fic, and that he'd choose to make his own decisions and make his own life, and not just be told to fall in love with Meghan and be unhappy forever. I kind of kept that element through the whole story as I worked through the different drafts, with Grimalkin leaving all these weird clues that he was 'special' in some way.

The point of it all was supposed to be that Julie Kagawa gave him life, but didn't necessarily make him all that he could be, but that there were hundreds of different worlds where he became a different person each time, each of those different worlds being a fanfiction. Honestly, I'm still not sure if it's a brilliant idea or an idiotic one, but I'm curious what you guys thought, now that it's been explained (sort of.) Do you guys know what I mean? Do you like it? Do you think I should have left it in or out? Feel free to give me feedback.

In any case. I doubt I'll have any Iron Fey stories in future, but I might do an occasional drabble here and there if I get a good idea. For now, I'm going to work on some Frozen and Walking Dead stuff, among other things. If you're into some fandoms I do (they're all listed in my Beta Profile; side note, I work as a Beta) and you like my writing, follow me! I might do some stories for your fandoms, I might be willing to do some collabs, and I might be willing to do some requests. Who knows?

But at the end of the day, I just hope you enjoyed reading and had fun with my story. I have been Strangerine, you have been amazing, and I'll see you in the next fic. :)


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